Crimson finch
| Crimson finch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Male at Middle Point, Northern Territory, Australia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Neochmia |
| Species: | N. phaeton |
| Binomial name | |
| Neochmia phaeton (Hombron & Jacquinot, 1841) | |
The crimson finch (Neochmia phaeton) is a common species of estrildid finch found in New Guinea and northern Australia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000- 1,000,000 km2.
It is commonly found in moist savannah, and subtropical/tropical (lowland) moist shrubland. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern.
The crimson finch (also known as the blood finch) has two distinct races, the black-bellied and the white-bellied. The black-bellied is the more common in captivity and therefore is reflected in its pricing.
The blood finch is known by this name due to the predominantly blood red colouration of the plumage. This bird is often erroneously accused of being a "killer" in captivity. It is normally no more aggressive than any other Australian finch; only males kept as single birds for a long period of time eventually become aggressive. This finch comes from the northern part of Australia, mainly in the Northern Territory.
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References
- ↑ BirdLife International (2012). "Neochmia phaeton". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013.