It’s thought that birds hit windows because they see the landscape reflected on the surface of the glass and that’s exactly what happened to this little Red-browed Finch at Booyong recently.

Scientific Name: Neochmia temporalis

Common Name: Red Browed Finch

There are many small flocks of Red browed finches feeding and frolicking in the grass at Booyong at the moment. They are so delightful to watch and it was wonderful to see this little guy up close. We ensured he was warm and kept him safe from predators while he recovered which took only a few minutes.

Both sexes of the Red browed finch are similar in appearance and they are easily recognizable by their striking bright red eyebrow. They are tiny only 10-12 cms long and weigh approximately 11kg’s and make short and high pitched whistles.

They are often attracted to bird feeders and feed on seeds and insects, feeling most safe when protected by dense bush in which to hide from predators and larger birds.

The Red- Browed finch breeds from October till April and lays 4-5 eggs in a clutch with both parents involved in the building of the nest and caring for their young. They incubate for only 14 days in a nest 1-2m from the ground and are found east of the Dividing range between Queensland and South Australia.

In 2019, we discovered the finch nests hanging from the trees in the rainforest.

The Red-browed Finch occurs mostly east of the Great Dividing Range, between Cape York in Queensland and the Mount Lofty Ranges in South Australia.