Gouldian Finch (black-headed male)

Description:

This is a spotting of Gouldian Finches in the wild! These beautiful Finches are endemic to Australia. According to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act - Gouldian Finches are listed as Endangered (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sp... ) This is a stunning black-headed male Gouldian Finch. It is a "small bird, with a bright green back, [bright] yellow belly and a [bright] purple breast." (Birdlife Australia) The males have brighter plumage than the females (see spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/588...). Black-headed forms are the most common which are "found in about 75% of the birds. Red-faced forms [see spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/900... ] make up about 25% of the population, and rare, yellow-faced birds occur from time to time. The yellow colour results from a lack of red pigment in the red-faced birds." (Birdlife Australia: http://www.birdlife.org.au/bird-profile/... )

Habitat:

A little flock of Gouldians had come in for a drink at a small waterhole at the base of a small cliff in the early morning. They had been joined by a variety of other birdlife: Diamond Doves - Geopelia cuneata (see pic 1), Long-tailed Finches - Poephila acuticauda acuticauda (see pic 2 and 3), and Double-barred Finches: Taeniopygia bichenovii annulosa (see pic 3 and 6), just to name a few. "It is currently known to occur in significant numbers (> 50 adult birds) at only 10 locations, including five in Western Australia [one being here at the Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary]; and five in the Northern Territory." (http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sp... )

Notes:

First time seeing a wild Gouldian Finch! Check out this little video of a couple of males and a female with some juveniles down at the water: https://youtu.be/_jB9C3MM5WM Juvenile spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/170... I was so excited because a little flock had come in for a drink. It was a mixed flock with black-headed females, juveniles, and a red-headed male!!! "AWC [Australian Wildlife Conservancy] protects one of the largest remaining populations of the Gouldian Finch at Mornington-Marion Downs, as well as smaller populations at the Artesian Range, Wongalara, Pungalina and possibly Brooklyn. We deliver effective conservation for the Gouldian Finch by implementing effective fire management (prescribed burning) and by removing feral herbivores. In addition, our field ecologists are undertaking vitally important research which has helped identify what needs to be done to reverse the decline in Gouldian Finches." - See more at: http://www.australianwildlife.org/wildli... "Mornington-Marion Downs is a stronghold for many species that are rapidly disappearing elsewhere across northern Australia." - See more at: http://www.australianwildlife.org/sanctu... This also includes the Purple-crowned Fairy-wren (western) - Malurus coronatus coronatus (see this spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/502... ) which is also listed as Endangered under the EPBC Act (see spreadsheet from this link: https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/plants-and-an... )