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24

Zebra Finch

(Taeniopygia guttata)
Alternate name(s): "Chestnut-eared Finch"
Aboriginal name(s): "nyiri-nyiri", "nyi-nyi", "nanakawi"

Size: 10 cm
Weight: 10-15 g
Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Zebra Finch at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "castanotis"

ADULT

MALE

Frontal view of a male Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2020]

Frontal view of a male Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Zebra Finch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]

Near-lateral view of a male Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Close-up near-lateral view of a male Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Lateral view of a male Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, March 2017]

Lateral view of a male Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of A. Campbell)
[Mount McEuen, QLD, June 2017]

Lateral view of a male Zebra Finch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

Lateral/ventral view of a male Zebra Finch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]

Male Zebra Finch dipping into its bath; Zebra Finches immerse themselves deeply into water, as opposed to Double-barred Finches, who only dip, and then flap their wings to splash themselves wet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2009]

FEMALE

Near-frontal view of a female Zebra Finch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2014]

Near-lateral view of a female Zebra Finch hiding in a prickly shrub
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2019]

Near-lateral view of a female Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Goondiwindi, QLD, March 2018]

Lateral view of a female Zebra Finch
[Near Cryon, NSW, March 2022]

Lateral view of a female Zebra Finch (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, October 2020]

Near-dorsal view of a female Zebra Finch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]

Dorsal view of a female Zebra Finch
[Eulah Creek, NSW, September 2020]

PAIR

Near-frontal view of a pair of Zebra Finches - male on the right (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, QLD, June 2021]

Near-frontal view of a pair of Zebra Finches
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, July 2023]

Near-lateral view of a pair of Zebra Finches
[Eulah Creek, NSW, January 2020]

Lateral view of a pair of Zebra Finches
[Leard State Forest, NSW, May 2014]

Lateral view of a pair of Zebra Finches (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)

Near-dorsal view of a pair of Zebra Finches (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Roxby Downs, SA, June 2022]


Near-dorsal view of a male and female Zebra Finch, plus the pair together (photos courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2020]

Small mob of Zebra Finches in flight
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2016]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Lateral view of an adolescent, probably female, Zebra Finch in the process of developing its characteristic orange bill colour from the juvenile grey form
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

Close-up frontal view of a juvenile Zebra Finch looking sideways
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]

Close-up near-frontal view of a juvenile Zebra Finch, now trying to get rid of that annoying feather stuck to its foot
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, February 2023]

Juvenile Zebra Finches in evening sunlight
[Near Moree, NSW, June 2013]

Juvenile Zebra Finch begging dad to be fed (photo courtesy of V. Collins)
[Eulah Creek, NSW, March 2021]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Oct - Mar Eggs: 4 - 6 Incubation period: 12 - 14 days Fledging age: 21 days

Given the right conditions, Zebra Finches can breed any time of the year.

Nest

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

Type: Dome Material: Grass with feather lining Height above ground: 1 - 5 m

Additional information

A. Morris reports that Zebra Finches 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.

Male Zebra Finch in front of its nest (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]

Here the bird is seen entering the nest (photo courtesy of R. Druce)
[Maules Creek, NSW, October 2011]

View of the entrance to a Zebra Finch nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[30 km N of Bedourie, QLD, August 2022]

Female Zebra Finch ready to get back into its nest
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

One of two Zebra Finch nests right under an active Brown Falcon nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Birdsville Track, SA, September 2022]

Overview of two Zebra Finch nests right under an active Brown Falcon nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Birdsville Track, SA, September 2022]

Female Zebra Finch carrying material to line its nest (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Birdsville Track, SA, September 2022]

Male Zebra Finch investigating whether this old babblers' nest can be used for nesting inside
[Lake Bindegolly NP, near Thargomindah, QLD, June 2019]

Pair of Zebra Finches near their nest; the male is carrying lining material
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2020]

Male Zebra Finch carrying lining material
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2020]

Eggs

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

Size: 16 x 11 mm Colour: White Shape: Tapered oval

The nest shown here contained at least five tiny white eggs, most of which are not visible in the photo.

Look into the same nest as shown above, with at least one egg visible
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2008]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: FLock

All species of finches known to us are highly sociable.

A bit of Zebra Finch TLC... this type of behaviour is part of a bonding ritual
[Near Cryon, NSW, June 2012]

Zebra Finches can often be found in roadside vegetation (here in the dead stalks of the previous year's population of weeds)
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, August 2012]

Although usually staying low above the ground in shrubs, Zebra Finches can occasionally also be found in trees, in this case 10 m high in an eucalypt
[Near Wee Waa, NSW, November 2016]

Part of a flock of Plum-headed Finches taking a bath in a puddle, together with Zebra Finches (photo courtesy of C. Hayne)
[Terry Hie Hie, NSW, February 2014]

Male Zebra Finch dipping into its bath; Zebra Finches immerse themselves deeply into water, as opposed to Double-barred Finches, who only dip, as shown here, and then flap their wings to splash themselves wet
[Eulah Creek, NSW, May 2009]

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds Dependents: Regurgitated seeds Water intake: Daily

Like all other finches known to us, Zebra Finches feed on seeds. These include grass seeds and seeds of reeds.

Zebra Finches are known to stay close to water, because they need water daily.

Close-up view of 3 female Zebra Finches feeding on grass seeds
[Burren Junction Bore Bath, NSW, July 2023]

Flock of Zebra Finches feeding by a roadside
[Near Cryon, NSW, June 2012]

Flock of Zebra Finches drinking from a pond
[Eulah Creek, NSW, August 2009]

Two male Zebra Finches drinking from a farm dam
[Near Cameron Corner, in SA, September 2012]

Small group of Zebra Finches waiting for a mob of kangaroos to clear out of an ornamental pond in a garden at the time of a severe drought
[Eulah Creek, NSW, February 2014]

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.

zebra_20200119_3.m4a castanotis
(NW NSW)
Contact call © MD
zebra_20190318.m4a castanotis
(NW NSW)
? (pair) © MD
zebra_20200119_2.m4a castanotis
(NW NSW)
Various (flock) © MD
zebra_20200119.m4a castanotis
(NW NSW)
Various (flock) + departure © MD
zebra_20140715_11.mp3 castanotis
(NW NSW)
Various (near nest) © MD

We have also recorded the wing beat of a Zebra Finch.

zebra_20140715_8.mp3 castanotis
(NW NSW)
Arrival (mob) © MD
zebra_20190318_2.m4a castanotis
(NW NSW)
Departure (pair) © MD

More Zebra Finch 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.