Small brown bird with finely barred front.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatFound in drier grassland areas, including agricultural areas, where it feeds in the grass or on the ground.
Best timeMost reliable in Queensland from April to May.
Range map
Range map
895visible hotspots
2582visible records
2states
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
Brown above, paler and finely barred, below, with with pale spots on the wing and rump, pale-tipped tail, and tiny plum-colored cap (male also has plum-colored chin).
Behavior
Found in drier grassland areas, including agricultural areas, where it feeds in the grass or on the ground. Sometimes in large flocks, mixed with other species.
Gallery
Regional timing
New South Wales
Queensland
South Australia
Victoria
Commonly confused with
Pictorella MuniaHeteromunia pectoralisJuveniles very plain brown, with faint outline of adult's mask. Gives a distinctive “teet” in flight or sparrow-like chip note.→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.→Beautiful FiretailStagonopleura bellaVery dark between eyes and bill (lores), with a pale eyering. Red-browed Firetail lacks fine barring and dark lores; Diamond Firetail has white belly and strongly spotted flanks. Juveniles plain brown, with features resembling adult but less pronounced. Inhabits heathland and woodlands in Tasmania and coastal areas of southeastern Australia.→