New Jersey Finch Quest

(Bathilda ruficauda)
Other common names: Rufous-tailed finch, Red-tailed finch, Red-faced finch, Ruficauda finch

Origin: Australia

Area of distribution: Northern Australia: from the Pilbara region in Western Australia through the Kimberley range and the Northern Territory and across Arnham Land to Cape York.

Disposition: Relatively calm, quiet, and independent. 4 to 4 1/2 inches

Physical descriptions: (including mutations) Forehead, sides of head, chin & beak: scarlet red; neck & upper back: grey-green to olive green; wings: grey-brown; belly: yellowish green; rump & central tail feathers: crimson. Red eyes, yellow legs and feet. Spots located on mask, chest & along the sides of the belly. Older birds tend to have more intense coloration and a greater number of spots.

Mutations include: pied (but pied feathers only tend to show on the head, wings, and tail), yellow-faced (where the mask is yellow instead of red), and isabel (a lighter, more fawn version of the bird with the same markings, just in a lighter, browner tone).

Sexing: The hen's mask covers a smaller area of her face and is less bright than the cock's. In addition, the spots adorning her mask, breast, and sides are often less distinct than those of the cock bird. Although both cocks and hens can make simple shrill calling noises, ONLY cocks can sing.

Favorite foods: Millet and insects: flies, flying ants, ant pupae, small mealworms, and termites.

Natural habitat: Tall grasses, reeds, and rushes alongside rivers, creeks, and swamps. The birds prefer areas with some bushes and low trees.

Habits: Wild star finches live in medium-to-large flocks outside of the breeding season. During the breeding season, the courtship ritual includes a display flight by the hen and a dance by the cock. The hen may carry a blade of grass in her bill during her flight, as she flutters in circles around a perched male. When the male courts a hen, he carries a long piece of grass in his bill and puffs out his head, breast, and flank feathers, turning his tail towards the hen. The male stands tall, bobs up and down, and bows while singing his song for the hen. The hen quivers her tail to invite copulation by the cock bird. Once bonded, pairs may stay together even outside of the breeding season. They do not roost in nests at night like zebra finches; they only build nests for breeding purposes.

Special considerations: Hybrids have occurred between star finches and bichenos (owl finches), between star finches and zebra finches, and between star finches and crimson finches. Therefore, when breeding stars, do not mix them with bichenos, zebras, or crimson finches.

Breeding season: Australia is in the southern hemisphere, so its seasons are out of synch with those of North America & Europe. In Australia, wild star finches begin breeding during the second half of the wet season; their breeding season is quite prolonged, lasting from late December all the way through August.

Breeding tips: If the enclosure is large enough (i.e. a planted aviary), star finches can be bred in mixed company or in a colony setting. They may also breed when housed as a single pair per cage. In a planted aviary, star finches often prefer to build their own nest in a shrub, bush, or tall-growing clump of grass, but in a cage they will accept a nest box or a cylinder made of ?" wire mesh which they can build their nest within. Star finches build a domed nest with a side entrance. The nest may be constructed out of dry coarse grasses and/or green stems. They prefer to line the inside of their nest with feathers. If you are providing your stars with an artificial nesting receptacle, you may need to place some nesting material in it to start them off. Provide plenty of nesting material even after the nest appears to be complete. While breeding, the pair will become very defensive of the immediate area surrounding their nest. Providing the pair with plenty of live food and egg food for chick rearing is essential. If large quantities of insects (or egg food) are not available to them, the pair will often toss their chicks.

Because star finches tend to be "light sitters," you should avoid nest checks whenever possible! If you are going to close band the chicks, wait until they are 9-10 days of age.

Life cycle:
Clutch size: 3-6 eggs
Incubation date: After the third or fourth egg is laid (the hen usually incubates alone at night)
Hatch date: After 13 days of incubation
Fledge date: At 21 days of age
Wean date: 6 weeks of age
Complete molt: 4-6 months of age

Sexual maturity: Although Star finches may become sexually mature before they obtain their adult plumage, many breeders recommend waiting until the birds are at least 6-9 months of age before breeding them

Please send comments and suggestions to webmaster@NewJerseyFinchQuest.com