Tag: finch

bird of the day: the gouldian finch

gouldian finches, sometimes called the lady gouldian’s finch, gould finch, or rainbow finch, is a small finch native to australia.

these finches are social birds that live in large flocks. outside of the breeding season, they mingle with other species of finch, forming flocks that can reach 1,000-2,000 birds. they display this behavior in captivity as well – they are known to be great mixed aviary birds as they coexist well with other species. due to their social nature, these finches should not be kept as single birds.

gouldian’s finches are unusual in that they have naturally developed, widespread color mutations. gouldian finches naturally come in three different ‘morphs’ – red headed, black headed, and yellow headed. originally thought to be seperate species or subspecies, all of these color variations are one species.

gouldian’s finches are one of the only birds recorded controlling the gender of their offspring. when black-headed and red-headed finches mate, a large amount of female offspring die. females are known to breed with males with certain colors to increase their male offspring.

the gouldian’s finch is currently listed as ‘near threatened’ in the wild by the iucn. an estimated 2,500 individuals remain in the wild. they are threatened by fires decimating their habitat, as well as habitat loss from development. luckily, the gouldian finches have a healthy captive population, and we don’t have to worry about them disappearing anytime soon.

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bird of the day: the java sparrow

the java sparrow is a small passerine bird native to parts of indonesia (though it has established feral colonies in other places). the java sparrow is also known as the java finch and the java rice-eating bird.

like the name rice-eating bird may imply, in some places the java sparrow has become an agricultural pest. naturally, the sparrow feeds off of grains and seeds, but they have been known to feed extensively in rice paddies. this has led to regulations on the sparrow, particularly in the us. in the state of california, it is illegal altogether to own a java sparrow.

despite this, the java sparrow remains a popular, well-loved pet. records of this bird in captivity date back to ming dynasty china. the java sparrow has remained a common pet in much of the world. it’s popularity in the us declined after laws were put in place banning import of wild birds. however, it is still well-known and well-loved. the java sparrow is known in captivity for its friendliness, ability to be a part of a mixed-species aviary, and relatively low maintainence.

in the wild, java sparrows live in large flocks. males and females are almost impossible for humans to tell apart, as they share the same plumage. however, the male performs a song and dance the female does not. java sparrows nest in trees, or buildings if given the opportunity, and raise 3-8 eggs.

unfortunately, recently the java sparrow has faced a decline in numbers. habitat loss and hunting have caused the java sparrow’s decline. they are now listed as vulnerable by the iucn. hopefully, this trend reverses and they become as common in the wild as they are in our households.

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call for submissions!

hi everyone! @todaysbird is in need of submissions! my goal is to post one bird a day to familiarize people with new species, put names to species people may ‘know’ but not know how to identify, and overall just make people smile with cute birds + bring people to love species they may not have cared about before! however, this blog relies on submissions and my own photos. i just don’t have access to that many birds very often – sure i have backyard birds, but i can’t get great photos without disturbing them, and people only want to see the budgies at my local petco so many times. that’s why i rely on you! i would REALLY appreciate submissions of any bird to this blog. your bird, a bird you saw outside, a rescue bird, anything as long as it’s YOUR photo. thank you!! 🙂

psa: birds’ blood doesn’t clot like ours.

a bird’s blood has a totally different makeup than ours. their blood is super slow to clot. this means birds can bleed out from seemingly minor injuries.

keep styptic powder on hand. styptic powder can often stop bleeding from small nicks, for example a nail clipping gone wrong. please keep your avian vet’s number handy, too!