Painted Firetail

(Emblema picta)

The Painted Finch comes from the arid areas of north western Australia through the Northern Territory and into Queensland and northern south Australia.

Females lack the red on the face and chest, and these finches appear to be strongly monogamous with the pair bond being formed prior to obtaining adult plumage.

The normal clutch is 3 or 4 white eggs, which hatch in 14 days. The babies emerge from the nest after a 21 day incubation period.

A good finch diet consisting of mixed millets and canary seed should be supplemented with greenfood and the heads of seeding grasses. During the breeding the young will benefit if the adults have access to sprouted seed, live food and eggfood.

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