Many of those who have kept Gouldian Finches maintain that there is perhaps no greater joy than keeping a Gouldian Finch. Like other finches the Gouldian has a beautiful chirping voice. It should be noted that singing is seen in males not females. The Gouldian Finch is a social creature, but more social with birds than people. They do not generally like to be held or petted, as is the case with most finches. If you are looking for a bird that enjoys physical human contact this is not the species for you. Gouldian Finches do not adapt well to change and may become highly stressed when their cage or environment changes. Frequent stress of this variety can kill them because it lowers their resistance to disease. Gouldian Finches are active birds, but are less active than some other types of finches.
Gouldian finches are social birds and require a companion Finch. They live for approximately 4 to 7 years and don't like to live alone. They are sociable to their own species and do not much care to be petted or held. They like to be around their own kind, and a solitary Gouldian finch will not survive in captivity. Gouldian finches should have at least one cage mate of their own species, although a small flock of four to five birds is ideal for their social well-being. If you have no intention of breeding them, they don't mind being in same sex pairs. If mated, the male Gouldian Finch will perform a mating dance know as the Court Ship Dance in order to impress the female. To the right, you will find a short video of a Male demonstrating his Court Ship Dance.
Introduction to Lady Gouldians
The Gouldian Finch, is arguably the most vividly colorful bird on earth. Their exquisite colors mirror those of the rainbow. It is no surprise that many have fallen in love with this breathtaking creature.Its native habitat is the northern region of Australia. Gouldians are between 5 and 5.5 inches in size or 13-14 cm long. Its natural habitat is difficult to access and is also quite limited. John Gould was the first to describe this beautiful bird. Mr. Gould was so taken by the breed that he originally named it after his wife "Lady Gouldian". Since then it has been renamed to its current name 'Gouldian Finch'. There appears to be some inconsistency in the scientific classification of the Gouldian Finch. In some places they are recorded as 'Chloebia gouldiae' and others as 'Erythrura gouldiae'. It appears that both are accepted, but this dual scientific nomenclature is unusual. The Gouldian Finch is an endangered species; with only 2,500 mature adults existing naturally in the world, this is surprising because they were at one time one of the largest flock birds in Australia. The reasons for its decline are numerous one of the clearest reasons is destruction of its habitat due to poor land management and land use, additionally they are susceptible to respiratory infections in the wild caused by an endoparasitic mite. Efforts are being made to save this beautiful bird from becoming more endangered or extinct.
Naturally occurring Gouldian Finches in the wild are seen in three specific color patterns, with head colors of orange (also called the yellow form, this form is very rare), bright red or black (the most common form). Body colors of olive green with purple chest patches and yellow underbellies are common to all three. The typical Gouldian Finch will exhibit a deep violet chest, neon blue rump, neck and upper tail, black pintail and yellow belly.
For domestic Gouldian Finches the body colors of Gouldian Finches can come in a wide array of colors which are distinct and well separated from other colors on the Gouldian. It must be noted that immature birds and females are duller and more washed out than the brilliantly colored males. This is not to say that the females are also not beautiful. Their distinctive pastel colors are also quite stunning. There are many different color possibilities available in today's domestic Gouldian Finch.
