OWL FINCH

ORIGIN
The Owl finch is from northern Australia. They inhabit the grass and scrub lands but have also been seen in city parks and residential neighborhoods. There are two distinct subspecies - one with black upper tail coverlets - commonly called the black rumped. The other subspecies has white upper tail coverlets - commonly called the white rumped.

SEXING
Although the male and female are similar in appearance, subtle differences do make it possible to accurately sex this species. The male stands taller than the female. The female breast has a somewhat dirty appearance where the males breast is a cleaner white. This is an unreliable indicator however as breast color can vary based on age and condition. When looking down at the top of the head, the males head is somewhat wider and the black feather at the top of the beak go back further on the male than on the female. This method of sexing is most reliable on young birds who have just finished their first molt at around 4 months of age. On older birds, the most reliable way to sex owls is to place them in a cage by themselves, out of sight of the other birds, but within ear shot. In this environment, the male will sing in short order. The female will make a one note contact call but will not sing.

HOUSING
The owl finch does well in either a cage or aviary setting. They thrive in either small colonies or mixed flights.. This species spends much of its time on the ground scratching and looking for insects. They greatly enjoy a small pile of leaves in a corner of the aviary where they can hunt for insects. This tendency to use the lower regions of the aviary makes it an ideal addition to any collection. The owl finch is an active, comical bird that is a joy to watch.