This species, Emblema pictum, is currently the only one allied to the genus.
WA: Rare
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeTiny
RarityUncommon
HabitatFound in arid inland Australia, in rocky gorges and hills with water nearby.
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from June to August.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Louis Masarei
Range map
Range map
200approx hotspots
7482approx records
5states
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
Male with bright red face, female with red around eye. Cherry red rump obvious in flight.
Behavior
Forages for seeds on rocky ground, forms monogamous pairs, and may breed opportunistically after favourable rain.
Gallery
Regional timing
Western Australia
Queensland
Northern Territory
South Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Commonly confused with
Masked FinchPoephila personataJuveniles similar but duller, with dark bill. Long tail but lacks the long streamers of similar Long-tailed Finch, with which Masked is sometimes found.→Pictorella MuniaHeteromunia pectoralisJuveniles very plain brown, with faint outline of adult's mask. Gives a distinctive “teet” in flight or sparrow-like chip note.→