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Black-throated Finch (Poephila cincta) Alternate name(s): "Parson Finch", "Black-throat", "Diggle's Finch", "Black-rumped Finch", "Black-tailed Finch" Size: 9-11 cm Body mass: 13-16 g

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Similar species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description Click here for a physical description Black-throated Finches are small finches. They have a bluish-grey head and nape of the neck, with light blue-grey ear coverts and a small black facial mask (lores and eye-rings). The most conspicuous feature is a large black bib. Male Black-throated Finches have a larger bib than females. The belly of both sexes is pinkish-fawn and they have a black band across the rump and down the flanks. Race "cincta" has a white rump, while race "atropygialis" has a black rump. The rest of the back is greyish-brown. The tail is black. The eyes have dark irises. The bill is black; the legs and feet are pinkish. Juveniles have duller colours overall.

Taxonomy, classification See Black-throated Finch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Black-throated Finch is available HERE . Black-throated Finches used to be found in parts of New Guinea and in north-eastern Australia. However, there are no recent reports of the species from beyond mainland Australia. In Australia there are two races of Black-throated Finches, both of which are endemic. Race "cincta" has a patchy distribution ranging from the base of Cape York peninsula in the North to near the tropic of Capricorn in the South. Farther South, there are reports of sightings in a few locations along the QLD East coast and there is a small population in north-western NSW, between Moree and the QLD border. Race "atropygialis" is found on Cape York peninsula, to the North of a line connecting roughly Mt. Isa and Cairns, QLD, but not on a narrow coastal strip up to Cape Melville and not on the tip of Cape York peninsula. Black-throated Finches have a preference for open forest and woodland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "cincta" B. Hensen reports spotting Black-throated Finches, race "cincta", at Mareeba Wetlands, near Mareeba, QLD, in July 2013. M. Eaton found Black-throated Finches, race "cincta", at Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, in September 2020. Race "atropygialis" M. Mearns reports finding Black-throated Finches, race "atropygialis", at Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, in July 2016. J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours spotted Black-throated Finches, race "atropygialis", at Rinyirru (Lakefield) NP, QLD, in September 2020.

Photos

Race "cincta"

ADULT

PAIR

Frontal/ventral view of a pair of Black-throated Finches
Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
In Black-throated Finches, the male, on the left, has a larger black chin patch than the female (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Frontal/ventral view of a pair of Black-throated Finches; male on the left, female on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

MALE

Full-frontal view of a male Black-throated Finch; note the characteristic large black throat patch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Frontal view of a male Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Frontal view of a male Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mareeba Wetlands, near Mareeba, QLD, July 2013]

Frontal view of a male Black-throated Finch looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Near-lateral view of a male Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mareeba Wetlands, near Mareeba, QLD, July 2013]

Near-lateral view of a male Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Near-lateral/ventral view of a male Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

FEMALE

Frontal view of a female Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Frontal view of a female Black-throated Finch with its head turned (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mareeba Wetlands, near Mareeba, QLD, July 2013]

Two Black-throated Finches in a dead tree; the relatively small throat patches compared with the birds shown above indicate that they are both females (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mareeba Wetlands, near Mareeba, QLD, July 2013]

Two female Black-throated Finches; slightly different postures (photo courtesy of B. Hensen)
[Mareeba Wetlands, near Mareeba, QLD, July 2013]

Near-lateral view of a female Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Lateral view of a female Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Sex unknown

Near-dorsal view of a Black-throated Finch, showing clearly the white rump characteristic of race "cincta" (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Dorsal view of a Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Black-throated Finches checking out a juvenile White-throated Honeyeater (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Race "atropygialis"

ADULT

Sex unknown

Lateral view of a small mob of Black-throated Finches (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Rinyirru (Lakefield) NP, QLD, September 2020]

Dorsal view of a Black-throated Finch (photo courtesy of M. Mearns)
[Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) NP, QLD, July 2016]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Aug - Apr

Eggs: 4 - 7

Incubation period: 12 - 14 days

Fledging age: ca. 21 days

Nest building: Female & male

Incubation: ?

Dependent care: Female & male

The male Black-throated Finch will propose a nest site, but the female needs to give it the stamp of approval.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Dome

Material: Grass stems with soft lining

Height above ground < 10 m

Instead of the "standard" domed nest with side entrance spout, Black-throated Finches may build their nest into the base of a raptor's nest or into a tree hollow or an arboreal termite mound.

Male Black-throated Finch working on its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Pair of Black-throated Finches working on their nest together (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Black-throated Finch carrying nest material (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 17 x 13 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Sedentary/dispersive

Elementary unit: Mob/small flock

Food, Diet

Like other finches, Black-throated Finches are primarily seed-eaters, but they will take greens from grasses as well.

Frontal view of a female Black-throated Finch taking grass seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Oak Valley NR, Townsville, QLD, September 2020]

Near-dorsal view of two Black-throated Finches drinking water (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Rinyirru (Lakefield) NP, QLD, September 2020]

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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