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A small, plump finch with a very thick pink bill.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityRare
HabitatGrassland, Herbaceous Graminoids Sparse Hummock Grasses, Open woodland, Sparse woodland, and Woody Trees Scattered
Best timeMost reliable in Victoria from January.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Kim Chuah Lim
Range map
Range map
6visible hotspots
7visible records
2states
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
The black head and white cheek patch are distinctive. Juveniles have a similar color pattern but are grayer. Call consists of one or more musical chirps. Native to the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali, where now quite rare. Introduced widely across the globe including India, Philippines, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and the Hawaiian Islands.
Behavior
Social; forages in flocks and roosts communally. Forages in rice fields, grasslands, meadows, and urban and suburban areas (in introduced range).
Gallery