The decline of this species in the Northern Territory is linked to changes in fire regime and grazing pressure.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatThe black-throated finch (Poephila cincta), or parson finch, is a species of estrildid finch found in grassy woodlands throughout north-east Australia from Cape York Peninsula to central Queensland.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to August.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
190visible hotspots
2283visible records
1states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Small finch of grassy woodlands. Mostly brown (darker above), with a gray head, black throat, black bill, and white undertail. Black tail relatively short and rounded. Masked Finch has longer, pointed tail, yellow bill, and brown head. Call is a long descending whistle.
Behavior
Feeds in grasses or on the ground, sometimes in large flocks, mixed with other species.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Commonly confused with
Double-barred FinchStizoptera bichenoviiAdult has a thin black outline around pale face, lending a sort of→Zebra FinchTaeniopygia guttataFemale smooth gray to buff on the chest and belly; juvenile similar but with a dark gray bill. Inhabits arid inland Australia, where often found in very large flocks.→Red-browed FiretailNeochmia temporalisIn flight, bright red rump apparent. Juvenile with red rump but otherwise olive drab with dark bill.→