Gouldian Finch (black-headed female)

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 black-headed female. It is a "small bird, with a bright green back, yellow belly and a [more mauve coloured] breast (see pic 3 for the front)." (Birdlife Australia) While less bright than the males (see pic 2 and this spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/516...), they are no less beautiful. 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: Long-tailed Finches - Poephila acuticauda acuticauda (see pic 1 and 3), Diamond Doves - Geopelia cuneata, and Double-barred Finches: Taeniopygia bichenovii annulosa, 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 female and a couple of males 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!!! Gouldian Finches a predominantly grass seed eaters, except during the breeding season when they feed on insects. "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." (AWC) 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...