An endemic bird of Northern Australia, the Gouldian finch or Erythrura gouldiae is one of the most impressively colorful birds on earth. |
Adult individuals of this bird are about 14 cm long, have green on the back, purple on the chest, red (or black) on the head and yellow on the belly. The female’s color is slightly lighter than the male’s. |
The extremely bright plumage makes the Gouldian finches look like they are colored by the rainbow. This is also the reason why they have another name: rainbow sparrows. |
A close relative of migratory birds, Gouldian finches have the habit of eating weed seeds by using their distinctively shaped beak to scoop out the seed pods. |
Due to its beautiful color, this rainbow bird has become a popular ornamental creature around the world. Large numbers of Gouldian finches have been bred in captivity |
Ironically, this bird species is facing the risk of extinction in the wild due to human hunting, habitat degradation, and invasion of exotic animals. |
According to estimates, the number of Gouldian finches in the wild is only a few thousand and is on the decline. To prevent the extinction of this bird species, a conservation program has been conducted. |
Some more pictures of Gouldian finches. |