Fun Painted Finch Facts For Kids

A painted flinch is a small bird, native to Australia. Its name comes from the red and white spots and dots on the underparts of the painted finch. Their habitat is spread throughout the arid and semi-arid regions covered in spinifex grass. According to the weather conditions, painted finches can breed almost at any time of the year except March and October. They rarely nest in trees. Feathers, seeds, wool, fur, grasses, and bushy plants are some of the things that are usually found near their habitat for nest making. The opening of the nest is often decorated with charcoal. Birds kept in captivity typically have a diet that includes hard-boiled eggs, sprouted seeds, grains, greens, fruits, vegetables, as well as live food. Feeding is done by both parents. The female lays a clutch of three to five eggs. A common description of their song style is 'cheeurr cheeurr'. Their contact call is a rough, scratchy 'trut', usually when danger is near.

If you enjoy reading about the painted finch, do check out interesting facts about the Gouldian finch and house finch.

What type of animal is a painted finch?

A painted finch is a common species of finch from the Estrildidae family.

What class of animal does a painted finch belong to?

The painted finch is a bird from class Aves.

How many painted finches are there in the world?

The population size of the painted finch is unknown.

Where does a painted finch live?

Painted finches (Emblema pictum) can be found in South Australia, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory. Natural habitat distribution of painted finches includes Africa, southern Asia, and throughout Australia. Australian Estrilid finches are classified into 30 main genera, consisting of approximately 124 species.

What is a painted finch's habitat?

The painted finch distribution extends to arid and semi-arid regions, typically in areas with spinifex grasses.

Who do painted finches live with?

Generally, there have been reports of painted finches congregating around water sources in flocks of up to 100 birds. Painted finches are usually found in pairs, or small groups of up to 10 are seen in groups. Besides finches and honeyeaters, other birds may also be present in these large flocks.

How long does a painted finch live?

The life expectancy of a painted finch is about seven to eight years.

How do they reproduce?

Depending on the weather conditions, painted finches can breed almost at any time of year. Most courtships occur on the ground and involve both genders picking up and dropping twigs and other items. Instead of this, a male may present a greeting display that involves lifting his body feathers and pivoting his head from side to side when speaking to a female. Monogamy is the behavior of painted finches who nest in pairs. They rarely nest in trees. However, in natural cavities near a clump's top or near the ground at the base, they have been observed nesting. There are occasionally nesting sites among tussock grass or low shrubs. Nests are usually shaped like bottles or domes and are made of grass stems, twigs, or roots. Spinifex-based nests are typically loose, but stems from other grasses may also be used. In addition to feathers, seeds, wool, fur, grass, and bushy plants, nests will usually be lined with pebbles, down, and plant down. A charcoal piece is often used to decorate the opening of the nest. Each female lays a clutch of three to five oval white eggs. Occasionally, the painted finch eggs have a blue tint. Both the male and female incubate the eggs for approximately 13–14 days. The painted finch baby are altricial, not leaving the nest until around 21–26 days of age. After two weeks of feeding, birds start developing courtship behavior. After 10 weeks, youngsters are weaned.

What is their conservation status?

They have been listed as of Least Concern under the IUCN Red List of endangered species.

What do painted finches look like?

A painted finch weighs around 0.03 lb (11.5 g) and measures 3.9-4.7 in (10-12 cm) in length. The painted finch males have red faces and foreheads, which stand out against their black breasts. On the sides of the breast, belly, and flanks, there are black spots with red borders. The center of the breast has a bright red patch, while the sides and the belly have white borders. The upper wing, tail, and upper body are all characterized by reddish-brown coloration. In addition to this, the bird's rump and upper tail coverts are primarily red, making this bird highly visible in flight. In their long, slender, and pointed bills, painted firetail finches have dark, slender mandibles on the top and a lighter shade on the bottom, topped with a red tip. Males usually have a cream or off-white colored iris, and their legs are a variety of shades in browns and pinks. Females are reddish blue, but it is more restricted to the cheeks and around the eyes. When compared with the male, the red patch on the breast is duller, as are the underparts, which are typically brownish-black. However, females have white spots more in the underparts. In females, the upper mandible is usually less red than on males, but the bill is quite similar. Despite looking similar to females, juvenile painted firetail finches have duller underparts that are brown instead of black. Juveniles possess a paler, almost pinkish coloration on the lower part of their bill and the color of their face is lackluster.

How cute are they?

Finches are fun birds to watch because they are characterized by their attractive feather patterns. Emblema finch birds fly around their cages. Birds often have a chatty personality that many owners find appealing and cute.

How do they communicate?

Wheezing and chattering are the main calls of males while rattling sounds are the calls of females when danger is near the nest.

How big is a painted finch?

A painted finch is 3.9-4.7 in (10–12 cm) in length. It is related to the painted bunting finch in size.

How fast can a painted finch fly?

The flight speed of a painted finch is unknown.

How much does a painted finch weigh?

A painted finch weighs around 0.03 lb (11.5 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

They are simply called male painted finch and female painted finch.

What would you call a baby painted finch?

A baby painted firetail finch is called a chick.

What do they eat?

The Australian painted finch's diet consists of seeds, millets, grit, and worms. Seeds on the rocky ground are the primary food for painted firetails. During the breeding season, they take insects and their larvae, too. A typical captive bird's diet consists of hard-boiled eggs, sprouted seeds, fine grains, greens, fruits, vegetables, and live food like worms as flatworms, mealworms, crickets, and locusts.

Are they dangerous?

No, they are not dangerous at all. They are quite friendly.

Would they make a good pet?

Yes. A painted firetail finch is kept as a pet in many aviaries. In general, the Australian painted firetail finch is easy-going and good-natured. With other finches who have the same peaceful disposition, they are happy in aviaries. Nevertheless, they become stressed easily with aggressive species, like zebra, owl, and tanager finches. Unless they are trained to be efficient nest builders, captive birds often use nests that are already built rather than building their own. In addition to artificial nesting options, these species may construct nests in natural shrubs or dried-bundled branches, as well as in low shrubs or wooden boxes that are half-open. In canary-sized breeding cages, some breeders keep one pair at a time, and they tend to produce more young. Keeping a pair from having more than three clutches a year is best for their health.

Did you know...

Captive painted finches and backyard aviaries are popular with homeowners. The most common mutation available is the yellow-painted finch. The red areas on a normal bird are replaced by yellow.

The most common problem this species has are sores on feet, legs, beaks, and eyes caused by mosquito bites. The only other species of bird that had the same problem was the scarlet-chested parrot. You should be aware of this potential problem if you live near the coast or in an area with large mosquito populations.

Are painted finch endangered?

No, they are not endangered at all.

Does a painted finch migrate?

The painted finch is generally not a migratory bird.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! Learn more about some other birds from our hummingbird facts and flycatcher facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable painted finch coloring pages.

Second image by Jim Bendon.