GOULDIAN FINCH

Latin Name: Chloebia gouldiae

INTRODUCTION

Gouldian finches are native to Northern Australia. Their natural habitat is

the tropical savannah woodland. These birds select open plains with
dispersed groups of tall trees or choose to stay at the fringes of mangroves
and thickets. They always tend to be near the water. It is a migratory
species, moving south in the rainy season and reappearing in the northern
regions for the dry months.

Due to the fact that they are now threatened because of illegal trappings
and also because of the invasion of humans into their habitats, the number
of gouldian finches in the wild
has drastically dropped. Its
own beauty seems to be
another cause of this danger
status because of its
ensnarement for aviculture
trade, and fire is also listed as
a jeopardising agent to their
natural populations. A
massive protection scheme is
now under way and with
assistance from the public,
this bird can be maintained
from total extinction. At least,
it can be considered secure in
captivity as a result of it being
one of the most prized aviary
birds in the world.

The gouldian is truly a wonderful bird bred in a wide variety of colours

which never cease to amaze. They are quite sturdy birds but can become
stressed quite easily especially during travel. Gouldian finches are much
more difficult to care for and breed than other types of exotic finches. So,

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 they are generally not recommended for the novice bird breeder who has
little or no experience with birds.

DESCRIPTION

The Gouldian finch is between 13 and 14

cm long. The three main types of gouldian
finches that are commonly bred are the
black-headed, the red-headed and the
yellow-headed gouldian, with the black-
headed normal gouldian being the most
common bird found in the wild. There are
three main chest band colours which are
purple, which is considered the normal
colour, white and lilac. Body colours vary
from the green of the normal coloured bird
to yellow, blue, or silver. It is a relatively
quiet bird and its song cannot be heard
over long distances.

HOUSING

These finches should be kept in one or more pairs to satisfy their need for
social contact. They will do well in both a mixed aviary as well as cage
setups, both of which should be as spacious as possible. Maintenance of
a certain temperature is extremely important for the gouldian finch and so,
the use of an outdoor aviary during the colder months is not
recommended. Different authors state that the humidity level should be
maintained at or above 55 percent but not to exceed 70 percent. So, the
use of a humidifier or dehumidifier, whichever is the case, is
recommended. Cold, damp or windy locations are to be avoided at all
costs.

SEXING
The standard normal male gouldian finch has a grass green back with a
purple breast. The breast and belly colours are usually used to determine
sex. Males will have a brighter and darker colour of purple on the chest
and the yellow of the belly will be darker and more intense when compared

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 with the female. The green back
colour and the light blue around the
face mask are also darker. All these
colours are quite brilliant. The beak
is an ivory colour with either a red
or yellow tip, although this can vary
depending on which mutation of
gouldian one has. The male also
has a noticeable longer centre tail
feather when compared with that of
the female. The males will also sing
a nearly inaudible song and they
will usually begin to sing long
before they have completed their
first moult.

The female has the same colourings as the male but paler in comparison
and she generally gets a dark beak when in breeding condition. The
young birds of both sexes resemble a hen bird with no head or chest
colours. One will have to wait until they have completed their first moult to
be able to distinguish between them. Their heads, sides and necks are
ashy-grey changing to olive green on the backs, wings and tail feathers.

BREEDING

The gouldian finch will generally breed towards the latter part of the year,
although it is not out of the norm to breed at
other times. When the birds come into
breeding condition, one will notice certain
physical changes. The cock will stand
upright on his perch sporting a white beak,
which would have gained a red or yellow tip
by now. It will sing heartily, attracting as
much attention as possible, while the other
birds around him will be listening intently.

Gouldian finches do prefer to choose their

own mate and at times do not breed if the
male and female birds do not have a liking
to each other. In a compatible pair, the

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 cock will approach the hen and start to sing. The male will then dance in
front of the female, actually jumping and leaving the branch in the
process. The female will twitch her tail towards her mate in response.
Then, the nest building begins. The birds seem to prefer mating inside the
nest box, and the eggs usually appear a short while afterwards.

These lay surprisingly large clutches of eggs. In fact, on average they lay
between 5 and 8 eggs, which are white in colour. The pair share
incubation duties during the day but quite often the male will stay outside
during the night. At times, a
clutch of eggs isn’t incubated well
and so it has to be fostered to
Bengalese finches. After about
13 or 14 days of incubation, the
young being to hatch. They are all
pink and lack of fuzz. Some
gouldian finches are notorious
chick tossers; they incubate well
but toss out the young soon after
hatching, which will then have to
be fostered to Bengalese finches.
The chicks of the gouldian finch
are easily identified by the light reflecting nodes at the corners of their
mouth. Both parents take on the role of feeding the chicks. After about 10
to 14 days, the female begins to sleep outside the box.

The chicks fledge at about 22 - 25 days.

Young gouldian finches are somewhat dull
in colour and do not show their true beauty
until they have completed their first moult.
They are dusky green with a cream belly,
but this colouring depends on the type of
gouldian one is breeding. The parents will
continue to feed the chicks for an additional
2 - 3 weeks. The young birds are normally
separated from their parents at around 43
days old. One must always check
beforehand that they are eating well
because when they are moved to a
separate cage, the stress may cause them
to stop eating. Moult will take place at

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 about 4 - 6 months and it can take up to 9 months for a juvenile to fully
moult into adult plumage. During this critical time, it is good to give the
birds a diet richer in protein.

NESTING MATERIAL

Gouldian finches have no difficulty in raising young in either small cages or

planted aviaries. They should be given the standard finch box, which has
an entrance at the top. This allows them to get down low in the box and
hide, thus feeling safer. They are not master nest builders and will use
mostly rough materials with softer materials being ignored or even ejected
if placed in the box. At times, no nesting material is used at all. The male
will take on the majority of the nest building chores by bringing in material
to the nest. The female will rearrange the material to her liking.

DIET

The gouldian finch should be offered a mixture of canary seed, various

types of millet and niger seed, all of which should be available in a good
quality Foreign Finch Mix.

From left to right : Canary seed, Yellow millet, White millet, Red millet, Japanese millet,
Panicum yellow, Panicum red and Niger seed.

A good mixture of seeds is not completely sufficient to insure a balanced

diet. So, they must also be given egg food, greens, mealworms and
soaked millet. Grit and calcium in the form of crushed egg and oyster
shells should always be available to them. Charcoal is a very good
digestion balancer and should also be made available. Gouldian finches

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 also seem to have a greater dietary need for iodine than other birds.
Insufficient iodine in their diet often results in a loss of feather around their
head but once the iodine intake is increased, the feathers will most likely
regrow. Fresh clean water should be present at all times in any birds’
cage.

SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS

Gouldian finches seem particularly susceptible to Air Sac mites. It is a

highly contagious parasite which invades the respiratory system and which
will eventually cause the bird’s death. An infected bird seems lethargic
and has difficulty in breathing, but a sure sign of this parasite is the clicking
sound the bird makes while breathing. A drop of medication (ask local
veterinarian for advice) on the bare skin between the shoulder blades
should do the job.

REFERENCES

Fulmer, R. Gouldian Finches: A Basic Introduction [On-line]

Available: http://www.finchworld.com/gouldpage.html

Gouldian Finch [On-line]

Available:
http://www.honoluluzoo.org/gouldian_finch.htm

Levitt, B. & Rushall, D. (2003) About Gouldian Finches [On-line]

Available: http://www.gouldianfinch.co.uk

March, B. & March, D. (2003) The Basic Requirements [On-line]

Available: http://www.gouldianfinch.co.uk

Marshall, R. Dr & Sammut, J. (1991) A Guide to…Gouldian Finches,

Australian Bird Keeper, Australia.

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 Vriends, M. M. (1991) Gouldian Finches, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc.,
Hong Kong

What to feed them [On-line]

Available: http://www.gouldianfinch.co.uk

LINKS

http://www.gouldianfinch.co.uk/pages/home.html

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