A small brownish bird with a bright yellow bill, black face, black flanks, and a distinctive black tail and white rump.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityCommon
HabitatInhabits grasslands and grassy woodlands across northern Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from June to September.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by James Lambert
Range map
Range map
633visible hotspots
9053visible records
3states
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
Juveniles similar but duller, with dark bill. Long tail but lacks the long streamers of similar Long-tailed Finch, with which Masked is sometimes found.
Gallery
Regional timing
Northern Territory
Queensland
Western Australia
Commonly confused with
Painted FiretailEmblema pictumMale with bright red face, female with red around eye. Cherry red rump obvious in flight.→Long-tailed FinchPoephila acuticaudaNote white rump in flight. Juveniles similar but duller, with dark bill. Compare with Masked Finch, which has black mask and lacks gray head.→Pictorella MuniaHeteromunia pectoralisJuveniles very plain brown, with faint outline of adult's mask. Gives a distinctive “teet” in flight or sparrow-like chip note.→