Gouldian Finch

We were desperately looking for the Gouldian Finch in the Northern Territory for weeks, putting all of our effort into observing and identifying all of the little birds with finch size, and then one day near the Mary River, around 120 km away from Kakadu, my mum, dad, and brother went birdwatching while I was chilling in the trailer, and after maybe 5 minutes they left, I received a text "Hurry up get ready we are coming" (of course I had guessed they were coming) I then jumped in the car and we went to observe those absolutely gorgeous and vibrant birds. We then saw them at Lee Point in Darwin. Here is some more information about them:

Description:

The Gouldian finch is a stunningly beautiful and vibrant bird. The Gouldian finch has three unique colour variations, with individuals having either a red, black, or yellow head. All have a wide turquoise band across the back of the head and a light green nape and sides of the neck. The back and wings of the bird are purple-blue. The lower breast, sides of the torso, and abdomen are yellow and gradually fade to white.

Juveniles are extremely different from adults and can be misidentified as male or female. Adult males have bright purple breast feathers, whilst adult females have dull grey breast feathers. When they start to acquire adult feathers, it is clear whether the bird is male or female.

Habitat:

According to recent estimates, less than 2,500 Gouldian finches remain in the wild. Although historically ubiquitous throughout northern tropical Australia, recent losses have reduced the Gouldian finch to small and isolated populations in Western Australia's Northern Territory and Kimberley region and are now extremely rarely to be fin in Queensland.

Gouldian finches love broad grassy plains with scattered tall smooth-barked Eucalyptus trees and are seldom far from water.

During the day, Gouldian finches hide themselves from the sun's rays by perching beneath a vertically hanging eucalyptus leaf. They form enormous flocks of hundreds of birds during the nonbreeding season. When food or water becomes scarce, they become migratory, roaming and travelling in a relatively small area.

Diet:

The Gouldian finch feeds on seeds. They feed on the ground for fallen grass seeds during Australia's dry season. Sorghum seed is a significant part of the Gouldian diet during the wet season.

Family Life:

Months pass between courtship and nesting. Males begin the wooing ritual by bobbing their heads, wiping their beaks, and ruffling their feathers to show off their vivid colours. The male maintains an upright posture with his torso and tail, extends his chest, and fluffs his forehead feathers.

The female may respond by wiping her beak. Pairs of Gouldian finches build open-cup nests in tree hollows or termite mounds. Gouldian finches, unlike most other finches, make loosely made grass nests inside tree hollows, and numerous pairs may share one hollow.

Eggs:

The female lays four to eight eggs in a clutch, with one egg laid each day, and both adults incubate the eggs and help to raise the young. Gouldian finches may produce up to two broods in succession, with 4 to 8 eggs per clutch.

The chicks may hatch around the same time, often on the same day and perhaps within hours of each other. They hatch without any feathers or down, and with blue, pearlescent (not "fluorescent") papillae, or nodules, at the corners of their beak. These reflect light (as opposed to emitting their own light) and help the parents find the hungry mouths in the dark.