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Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata) Alternate name(s): "Firetail Finch", "Diamond Finch", "Spotted-sided Finch", "Beautiful Firetail Finch"*; misnomer: "Diamond Sparrow" Size: 12-13 cm; wing span 26 cm Body mass: 17 g (average)

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Although, because of their relatively short tail, not the tallest, Diamond Firetails, to our knowledge, are amongst the most massive of the Australian finch species. They have a white throat, a wide black band covering the entire chest, and a white belly, vent, and undertail coverts. The lores are black, the rest of the head and the nape of the neck are grey. The shoulders and flanks are black, connecting to the black chest band, with prominent white spots. The wings are brownish-grey, with darker grey leading edges on the flight feathers. The rather short tail is black; the rump is crimson-red. The eyes have red-brown irises. The bill is red; the legs and feet are grey. Juveniles are grey where adults are black and they have a black bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Diamond Firetail 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 Diamond Firetail is available HERE . Diamond Firetails are endemic to Australia. The range of Diamond Firetails extends from the south-eastern corner of Australia, i.e. Eyre peninsula in SA, and all of VIC, throughout eastern and central NSW (as far West as about Wilcannia), into southern and central QLD, with a western boundary close to the geographical longitude of Cairns, QLD. The northern boundary of their range is Undura Volcanic NP, QLD. They are not found along the coastline of QLD, down to about the Manning River in NSW, neither are they present in two small coastal areas to the East and West of Melbourne, VIC, at the southern tip of the Australian continent. In inland areas they are mostly found along the major rivers. Diamond Firetails live in various types of forest and woodland, also in heath. Where to look? How to find this species? Diamond Firetails are rather tall finches, with habits that differ from those of smaller species of finches. While the latter will normally live close to or on the ground, Diamond Firetails spend part of their time in trees, up to 5 or 10 m off the ground. Areas where to look for them are the edges of sclerophyll forest and woodland, with adjacent bordering shrubs and grassland for foraging. In the breeding season, clumps of Mistletoe should be checked for nests; Diamond Firetails may be seen carrying nest material (or later food) to up to 10 m off the ground.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Rare guests at the house were we lived until 2006, we have found that Diamond Firetails were permanent residents in a patch of bushland elsewhere on the property, 20 km South of Narrabri, NSW. Diamond Firetails were also permanent residents on a property in bushland 30 km North of Coonabarabran, NSW. Small numbers of Diamond Firetails were spotted by us in January/February 2008 in Deriah Aboriginal Area and Mt. Kaputar NP (Upper Bullawa Creek), both about 30-40 km East of Narrabri. Due to a combination of several circumstances, apart from hearing a Diamond Firetail calling in 2014, we have not been able to see one for 10 years, from 2009 to 2019. In December 2019 a Diamond Firetail was found near Deriah Aboriginal Area, 30 km East of Narrabri, NSW. Another group was found in Mt. Kaputar NP (Upper Bullawa Creek), in May 2020. Since then they have been found by us in the area semi-regularly. A single bird was found by us at Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, in August 2024. Diamond Firetails were seen by A. Lines near a golf course in Moree, NSW. M. Windeyer reports spotting Diamond Firetails near Dubbo, NSW, in July 2011. R. Druce reports spotting Diamond Firetails in Tenterfield, northern NSW, in February 2013. R. Plumtree reports spotting Diamond Firetails occasionally near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC. In October 2015 they were found to be nesting at Ensay South.

Photos

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Diamond Firetail looking sideways
[Near Narrabri, NSW, August 2022]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Diamond Firetail
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, April 2021]

Near-lateral view of a Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Diamond Firetail on the ground (photo courtesy of M. Windeyer)
[Near Dubbo, NSW, July 2011]

Close-up lateral view of a Diamond Firetail looking sideways
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a Diamond Firetail
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Close-up lateral view of a Diamond Firetail
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Lateral view of a Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, April 2014]

Lateral view of a Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Tenterfield, NSW, February 2013]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Diamond Firetail
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, April 2021]

Near-dorsal view of a Diamond Firetail
[Near Coonabarabran, NSW, September 2006]

Near-dorsal view of a Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2014]

"2 diamonds" - Comparison of a Diamond Firetail with a male Diamond Dove
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, May 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Adult, left, with probably sub-adult Diamond Firetail, front right; note the grey breast ring, rather than the adult's black one
(photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Bindi, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2017]

Near-frontal view of an immature Diamond Firetail; note the still grey frontal markings, while the bill has already turned red (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2019]

Lateral view of an immature Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2019]

Lateral view of an immature Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, August 2019]

Frontal view of a juvenile Diamond Firetail starting to stretch (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Watts Creek Road near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2019]

Frontal view of a juvenile Diamond Firetail in full stretch (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Watts Creek Road near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2019]

Lateral view of a juvenile Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Watts Creek Road near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2019]

Distant lateral view of a juvenile Diamond Firetail
[Deriah Aboriginal Area, NSW, January 2009]

Dorsal view of a juvenile Diamond Firetail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Watts Creek Road near Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, February 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Jan

Eggs: 4 - 6

Incubation period: 14 - 15 days

Fledging age: 23 days

Nest

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

Type: Dome

Material: Grass with feather lining

Height above ground: <10 m

Compared with other species of finches, Diamond Firetails can nest very high (which makes the collection of nesting material an arduous task).

Additional information

A. Morris reports that Diamond Firetails like to take advantage of the protection offered by nesting under a Wedge-tailed Eagle or Whistling Kite nest. There is now a separate page about various bird species nesting under the umbrella of a stronger, protective species.

Diamond Firetails nesting low in a casuarina; four adults were observed around this nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]

Closer look at one Diamond Firetail outside its nest (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]

One curious Diamond Firetail chick checking the world outside (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2015]

Mistletoe with a Diamond Firetail's nest at its base, about 15 m above ground, high up in a eucalypt
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, January 2008]

Note that it is unusual for a small bird, such as a finch, to have its nest that high. Usually small birds tend to nest in dense, inaccessible areas closer to the ground - even the 10 m listed in the table above are very high for a bird the size of a finch.

Eggs

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

Size: 18 x 13 mm

Colour: White

Shape: Tapered oval

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive/sedentary

Elementary unit: Mob

All species of finches known to us are highly sociable.

Male Diamond Firetail bringing green grass to its partner as part of his courtship display
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, January 2008]

"Stand-off" between a Diamond Firetail and a Willie Wagtail (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay South, East Gippsland, VIC, October 2014]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds

Dependents: Regurgitated seeds

Water intake: Daily

Like all other finches known to us, Diamond Firetails feed primarily on seeds. We have also seen them take unripe seeds and parts of flowers, such as petals.

Frontal view of a Diamond Firetail feeding on flower petals
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Near-frontal view of a Diamond Firetail feeding on flower petals
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Near-lateral view of a Diamond Firetail feeding on seeds (photo courtesy of R. Plumtree)
[Ensay, East Gippsland, VIC, September 2019]

Lateral view of a Diamond Firetail feeding on flower petals
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Near-dorsal view of a Diamond Firetail feeding on young shoots
[Yarrie Lake, near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2024]

Lateral view of a Diamond Firetail having a drink of water
[Near Deriah Aboriginal Area, 30 km East of Narrabri, NSW, December 2019]

Near-dorsal view of a Diamond Firetail approaching a waterhole
[Mt. Kaputar NP, NSW, May 2020]

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

diafire_20210515.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact call	© MD
diafire_20200529.m4a	(NW NSW)	Contact calls (+ Bar-shouldered Dove)	© MD

More Diamond Firetail sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

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.

Would you like to contribute photos or sound recordings to this site? If interested, please CLICK HERE. Credits to contributors are given HERE.