Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton Scientific name definitions

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Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

12–13 cm; c. 8–10 g. Male has forecrown to nape, hindneck and sides of neck mid-grey; upperparts crimson to brownish red, feathers with variably visible greyish and sandy bases and fringes, rump grey, uppertail-coverts entirely red, tail dark red, inner webs of outer rectrices tinged brownish grey; flight-feathers duller and greyer with little or no red; lowermost forehead, entire face and throat to breast and flanks red, flanks with small white spots, belly to undertail-coverts white or whitish; iris light brown, eyering red; bill red with narrow pale bluish band at base, usually thinner and less noticeable on maxilla (around nostrils); legs reddish grey to brownish yellow or pinkish yellow. Female is similar to male above but paler and greyer, also has face and throat red, but upper breast and flanks grey, flanks tinged brown with white spots, belly to undertail-coverts whitish; bill red with pinkish band at base. Juvenile is brown above, with reddish feather edges on wing-coverts and back, rump and uppertail-coverts, has flight-feathers and tail feathers mostly red, throat and underparts buff, eyering grey, bill black.

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

13 cm; 10 g. Male has forecrown dark grey fading to lighter brownish grey on upper mantle and sides of neck, rest of upperparts red to crimson, with variable amount visible of sandy or grey-brown bases and fringes, less or no red on primaries and on lower back, entirely red on rump and uppertail-coverts, tail red, all but central rectrices with dull brownish-grey inner webs; face, throat and breast red, flanks red with small white spots, belly and undertail-coverts black; iris brown, eyering red; bill red with pale pink to pale bluish band on base, usually narrower and less noticeable on maxilla (around nostrils); legs reddish grey to orange-yellow or pinkish yellow. Female is similar to male above, also has face and throat red, but upper breast and flanks grey, flanks with white spots, belly to undertail-coverts whitish. Juvenile is brown above, with reddish feather edges on wing-coverts and back, rump, and uppertail-coverts, flight-feathers and tail feathers mostly red, throat and underparts buff, eyering grey, bill black.

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Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Semi-arid country near dense grass or trees and shrubs. Found in Pandanus palms, canegrass and bamboo in Northern Territory; at Mornington Wildlife Sanctuary, in Western Australia, occupies riparian zone, where it nests in Pandanus palms, and forages in grassy savanna; in Cape York Peninsula, in N Queensland, found in swampy grasslands with scattered Pandanus and tall grass along watercourses.

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Resident; some local movements.

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Seeds, mainly of grasses (especially Panicum); also takes spiders (Araneae) and some insects; may take green algae from shallow water. Forages in vegetation and on ground; picks grass seeds from ground and from seedheads, and takes invertebrates from Pandanus and Corypha palms; catches alate termites (Isoptera) in flight. Forages in pairs and in small groups, occasionally larger flocks of up to 20 or more individuals; sometimes with other estrildids.

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Seeds of grasses, including Panicum and Themeda, Chrysopogon elongatus and Tridax procumbens, plus seeds of herbs (e.g. Hibiscus); also spiders (Araneae), and termites (Isoptera) and other insects, and lerp produced by Psyllidae; takes green algae from shallow water. Nestling diet half-ripe seeds, small insects and spiders. Forages mostly in vegetation and on ground; takes grass seeds from ground, and from seedheads while clinging to tall stems; takes invertebrates from foliage of Pandanus and Corypha palms, and takes lerp from canopy foliage. Catches termite alates in flight. Forages in pairs and in small groups, occasionally in larger flocks of up to 50 individuals; sometimes with other estrildids, e.g. N. ruficauda and Lonchura castaneothorax.

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Contact call or flight call a brisk, descending “tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee-tsee” or “che-che-che-che”; alarm call a sharp “chip” or “pit”. Song a series of low rasping notes, “ra-ra, ra-ra, reee”, ending with melodious descending treble note.

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Breeds in latter half of dry season to late wet season, Sept, Nov–Dec and Feb, and birds with nesting material seen in Mar and Apr, in New Guinea; in Australia (W Cape York Peninsula, in N Queensland) in wet months, as early as Sept or Oct. Courtship behaviour much as that of N. phaeton (which see). Nest a bulky structure with side entrance, loosely woven from grass and bark strips, lined with fine grass, feathers and seedheads, placed above ground in fronds of palms from flood debris, or lower down in grass tussock or behind piece of bark. Clutch 4–6 eggs; incubation by female, period c. 14 days; hatchling pale, with grey down, skin becomes almost black by day 4, other details presumaby as for N. phaeton; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period 20–22 days.

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Breeds in wet months, Dec–Sept (mostly Jan–Apr) in Kimberley Division and as early as Sept or Oct in Queensland. Often in loose colonies of up to 20 pairs. Male carries grass stem or leaf in bill, perches near female and courts in a mostly horizontal stance, male and female parallel to each other, each twisting head and tail towards partner, male fluffs feathers on head, bobs up and down (feet leaving perch), then drops the grass, and pair copulates; when searching for nest-site, partners bow with head and tail twisted towards each other, bodies nearly touching, they call, male flies off and returns with first grass to build nest. Nest a bulky covered structure with side entrance, made from grass and strips of bark, loosely woven, lined with fine grass, seeding heads of sedge and feathers, built 3–16 m above ground in fronds of Pandanus palms from flood debris, or in grass tussock or behind a piece of bark or against a house. The species appears to prefer to nest among foliage of the crowns of Pandanus on stems with aquatic barriers, and near old nests of conspecifics (4 Soanes, R., Peters, A., Delhey, K. and Doody, J.S. (2015). The influence of nest-site choice and predator sensory cues on nesting success in the Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton). Emu 115(4): 317–325. Close ). Clutch 4–6 eggs; female begins incubation with fourth egg, incubation period c. 14 days; hatchling pale, with grey down, skin changes from yellowish-pink or salmon to nearly black by day 4, gape has yellowish-white swollen corners with large black spots on oral surfaces of swellings, palate creamy yellow with three black spots and two small spots behind (palate bright yellow around posterior spots), tongue with two black spots or black bar and with black crescent below; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period 20–22 days; young independent in two weeks. A study in the Kimberley region found that pairs produced up to three successful broods per season, c. 60% of clutches were lost to predation, and apparent annual survival of adults was high, at 70–96% (5 Milenkaya, O., Legge, S. and Walters, J.R. (2011). Breeding biology and life-history traits of an Australasian tropical granivore, the Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton). Emu. 111: 312–320. Close ). In this region, there is one record of a male–male pair that built four nests (over four seasons) and incubated two clutches, each with a single egg of unknown origin, with at least one developing partially before failing (6 Kindel, J., Legge, S., Milenkaya, O. and Walters, J.R. (2018). Male-male pair bonding, nesting and egg incubation in a wild passerine. J. Orn. 159(1): 307–309. Close ). Predation is apparently most significant during the egg stage (4 Soanes, R., Peters, A., Delhey, K. and Doody, J.S. (2015). The influence of nest-site choice and predator sensory cues on nesting success in the Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton). Emu 115(4): 317–325. Close ). Nest predators include Mitchell’s water monitor (Varanus mitchelli) and Mertens’ water monitor (V. mertensi), which in some parts of N Australia have declined recently in face of the arrival and increase in numbers of introduced cane toads (Rhinella marina), leading to reduced predation pressure on the finch (7 Peter, J. (2015). Unexpected consequences. Austr. Birdlife 4(2): 15–16. Close ). Other nest predators include water python (Liasis fuscus), and Gilbert’s dragon (Lophognathus gilberti) (4 Soanes, R., Peters, A., Delhey, K. and Doody, J.S. (2015). The influence of nest-site choice and predator sensory cues on nesting success in the Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton). Emu 115(4): 317–325. Close ).

Crimson Finch (White-bellied)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon. This species’ population is believed to be reasonably stable as there is no evidence for any declines in its numbers or any substantial threats facing it. It is considered Endangered in W part of Cape York Peninsula, in NE Australia, where the population is estimated at c. 2000 individuals. Origin of recent records in coastal N New Guinea (in area of L Sentani and Nimbokrang) uncertain; presumably the result of introductions or escaped cagebirds.

Crimson Finch (Black-bellied)

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Locally common in Western Australia and Northern Territory; less widespread and less numerous in Queensland, where local extinctions have been reported, e.g. in the Fitzroy River Basin; in one part of this area, the species was recently lost as a result of landholders employing riparian fencing to maintain greater grazing intensity throughout the year, leading to suppression of Chionachne seeding (8 Houston, W.A. and Black, R.L. (2016). Grassfinch decline and local extinction of the Crimson Finch Neochmia phaeton in the Fitzroy River Basin, Queensland. Austr. Field Orn. 33(3): 133–142 Close ). In Northern Territory, recorded densities of 0·08–2·64 birds/ha on Howards Peninsula. Adverse factors include overgrazing by livestock and habitat degradation caused by invasive rubber vine (Cryptostegia grandiflora); also fires, which can lead to extensive habitat damage in riparian habitats.