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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
HabitatGrassland, Herbaceous Graminoids Open Tussock Grasses, Open woodland, Sparse woodland, and Waterbodies
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from June to August.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Marc Anderson
Range map
Range map
190visible hotspots
2283visible records
1states
SparseModerateDense hotspot
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