The star finch is a seed-eating bird species found in northern Australia. It has a distinctive red face and bill, and broad white spots down its flanks. One of its three subspecies may be extinct.
Region
Northern Australia
Typical Environment
Occurs patchily from the Kimberley of Western Australia across the Top End of the Northern Territory to the Gulf of Carpentaria and northwest Queensland, with historical records farther east. It favors tropical savanna landscapes with tall, seeding grasses and reliable surface water. Typical sites include river floodplains, wetlands, stock dams, and rank grass around pandanus or paperbark edges. It avoids dense forest and arid interiors far from water, shifting locally as grass seed availability changes.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 500 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 3/5
The star finch is a small Australian estrildid with a red face and bill and bold white spotting along the flanks. It relies on seeding grasses near water and often breeds after seasonal rains. Several regional populations have declined from altered fire regimes and heavy grazing, and one of its three subspecies from eastern Queensland may now be extinct in the wild. It is popular in aviculture but remains a wild, non-domesticated species.
At Wyndham, Western Australia
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with an undulating path
Social Behavior
Often seen in small flocks or loose groups, especially outside the breeding season. Pairs form strong bonds and nest close to water in dense grass clumps, shrubs, or low trees. Breeding typically follows rains when grass seeding is abundant, and birds may roost communally in tall grass.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, tinkling series of high-pitched notes interspersed with twittering contact calls. The song is sweet but subdued and often given from low perches or within grass cover.
