Red-browed Finch

Neochmia temporalis

Crimson eyebrow slash on olive-green plumage. One of Australia's most common finches, found in gardens continent-wide.

Population: Not quantified; described as common to locally common, stable population trend (BirdLife/IUCN 2018 assessment)
Habitat: Grassy areas with dense understorey vegetation, often along creeklines; also temperate/dry forest, dry savanna, and (in tropical parts of its range) mangrove edges
Fun fact: Also known as the Red-browed Firetail, this small Australian finch builds a large domed nest with a side-tunnel entrance and, in captivity, will readily hybridize with the Star Finch, Crimson Finch, and Zebra Finch if housed together.
Range: Eastern Australia, from Cape York (Queensland) south to the Mount Lofty Ranges (South Australia), including NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, ACT; introduced/feral populations established near Perth (Darling Ranges) and in French Polynesia (e.g., Tahiti)
Diet: Primarily grass and sedge seeds, foraged on the ground or from seeding grass heads; also takes small insects and, opportunistically, non-native seeds
Size: 0.115 m
Wingspan: 0.16 m
Lifespan: 5 years

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