---
title: "What the sources say about the Gouldian Finch | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "53 claims from the Gouldian Finch profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it."
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---

# What the sources say about the Gouldian Finch (*Chloebia gouldiae*)

> 53 claims from the Gouldian Finch profile, each beside the words of the source that backs it. A "..." marks a cut in a quote and [brackets] an insertion.

Profile: [Gouldian Finch](https://animaltracks.wiki/animals/gouldian-finch/)

## Gouldian Finch. San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance.

https://animals.sandiegozoo.org/animals/gouldian-finch

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| chicks hatch with light-reflecting beak nodules that help their parents feed them in a dark hollow | they hatch without any feathers or down, and with blue, pearlescent (not "fluorescent") papillae, or nodules, at the corners of their beak. These reflect light (as opposed to emitting their own light) and help the parents find the hungry mouths in the dark. (note: tagline) |
| Eucalypt savanna near water | Gouldian finches are never far from water, preferring open grassy plains with scattered tall smooth-barked Eucalyptus trees. (note: stats.habitat) |
| in the Northern Territory and Kimberley region of northern Australia | the Gouldian finch is restricted to small and isolated populations in the Northern Territory and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. (note: stats.habitat) |
| Grass seeds, picked from the ground in the dry season, with sorghum seed important in the wet season | The Gouldian finch is a seed eater. During Australia’s dry season, they forage on the ground for fallen grass seeds. During the wet season, an important part of the Gouldian’s diet is the sorghum seed. (note: stats.diet; from the current SDZ page rather than Tidemann 1996) |
| chick beak nodules that reflect light to help parents feed them in the dark | they hatch without any feathers or down, and with blue, pearlescent (not "fluorescent") papillae, or nodules, at the corners of their beak. These reflect light (as opposed to emitting their own light) and help the parents find the hungry mouths in the dark. (note: stats.superpower) |
| measures just 14 to 15 centimeters (5.5 to 6 inches) long | Length: 5.5 to 6 inches (14 to 15 centimeters) |
| weighs about 14 grams | Weight: .5 ounces (14 grams) |
| adults have a turquoise band across the back of the head, a light green nape and neck, a purple-blue back, and a yellow belly fading to white | All have a wide turquoise band across the back of the head, and the nape and sides of the neck are a light green. The finch's back and wings are a purple-blue. The lower breast, sides of the body, and abdomen are yellow, fading to white. |
| males carry a bright purple breast, while females wear a duller version of the same shade | Adult males have bright purple breast feathers, while adult females' are a dull purple. |
| Females lay four to eight eggs per clutch | The female lays four to eight eggs in a clutch |
| several pairs may crowd into the same tree | Several pairs may nest in the same tree. |
| Newly hatched chicks have no feathers, but the corners of their beaks carry pearlescent blue nodules | they hatch without any feathers or down, and with blue, pearlescent (not "fluorescent") papillae, or nodules, at the corners of their beak. These reflect light (as opposed to emitting their own light) and help the parents find the hungry mouths in the dark. (note: blockquote) |
| These reflect light rather than giving off their own, and they help the parents find hungry chicks in the dark | they hatch without any feathers or down, and with blue, pearlescent (not "fluorescent") papillae, or nodules, at the corners of their beak. These reflect light (as opposed to emitting their own light) and help the parents find the hungry mouths in the dark. (note: blockquote; 'rather than giving off their own' is SDZ's '(as opposed to emitting their own light)') |
| the finches sometimes gather in flocks of several hundred | Gouldian finches are highly social, sometimes forming flocks of several hundreds in the nonbreeding season. |
| They are nomadic, wandering within a relatively small area when food or water grows scarce | They are nomadic, wandering and traveling within a relatively small area when food or water becomes scarce. |
| stay alert for snakes, feral cats, and hawks, which all prey on them | they must be on the alert for snakes, feral cats, and hawks, as all are Gouldian finch predators. |
| Only males sing | Only the male Gouldian finch sings. |
| the flock otherwise usually communicates through trills, soft chirps, hisses, and clicks | They usually communicate through a series of trills and soft chirps, hisses, and low-pitched clicking sounds. |
| The San Diego Zoo names fire as the primary threat to the species, alongside habitat change from cattle grazing, wildfires and human development | Fires are listed as the primary threat to the Gouldian finch ... Gouldian finches are also threatened by habitat modification due to cattle grazing, wildfires, and increasing human developments. |

## Erythrura gouldiae. AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database, Human Ageing Genomic Resources.

https://genomics.senescence.info/species/entry.php?species=Erythrura_gouldiae

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| has been recorded living up to 6 years in captivity | Maximum longevity 6 years (captivity) |

## Chloebia gouldiae. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2022: e.T22719744A211561819.

https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2022-1.rlts.t22719744a211561819.en

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| Least Concern | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: stats.conservationStatus; assessed 2021 per the prefetch's Red List entry, read through GBIF's copy since iucnredlist.org refuses scripts) |
| Today the IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern, based on an assessment from 2021 | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: current category from GBIF's copy of the Red List; assessed 2021 per the prefetch's Red List entry (BirdLife International 2021, published in the 2022-1 edition)) |
| The IUCN Red List's current listing, based on a 2021 assessment, puts the Gouldian finch in the Least Concern category rather than any threatened one | IUCN Red List category: Least Concern (LC). (note: FAQ 4; current category from GBIF's copy; assessed 2021 per the prefetch) |

## Pryke & Griffith (2005). Red dominates black: agonistic signalling among head morphs in the colour polymorphic Gouldian finch. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2005.3362

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| one of three discrete, genetically inherited head colors: carotenoid-based red, melanin-based black, or yellow | a species displaying three completely discrete but naturally co-occurring genetically inherited phenotypes; yellow-, red- (carotenoid) and black-headed (melanin) morphs |
| A Finch in Three Head Colors | a species displaying three completely discrete but naturally co-occurring genetically inherited phenotypes; yellow-, red- (carotenoid) and black-headed (melanin) morphs (note: heading) |
| The color is not only cosmetic. | in staged dominance contests between unfamiliar birds of different head morphs, red-headed males dominated black-headed males, both of which dominated the yellow-headed birds (note: transition sentence introducing the dominance-contest finding in the next sentence) |
| In staged contests between unfamiliar captive males, red-headed birds dominated black-headed birds, and both dominated yellow-headed birds | in staged dominance contests between unfamiliar birds of different head morphs, red-headed males dominated black-headed males, both of which dominated the yellow-headed birds |
| Head color is inherited, and the three morphs are completely discrete | a species displaying three completely discrete but naturally co-occurring genetically inherited phenotypes; yellow-, red- (carotenoid) and black-headed (melanin) morphs (note: FAQ 1) |
| Researchers staged contests between captive males that were strangers to each other, and red heads came out on top of black heads, with both beating yellow heads | in staged dominance contests between unfamiliar birds of different head morphs, red-headed males dominated black-headed males, both of which dominated the yellow-headed birds (note: FAQ 2; 'strangers' for 'unfamiliar') |
| Within each color, the intensity and size of the ultraviolet-blue collar decided the outcome, and redder red-headed males beat duller ones | within morphs, the intensity and size of the strongly ultraviolet-blue collar determined the outcome of these contests, and among the red-headed males, redder males dominated less chromatic birds (note: FAQ 2) |
| Even when the researchers blackened a red-headed male's head, the naturally red-headed birds kept winning | when the dominance signal of red-headed birds was experimentally destabilized (i.e. blackened or reddened), naturally red-headed morphs continued to dominate both the black-and yellow-headed morphs (note: FAQ 2) |
| In a 2005 experiment, yes | Here, we experimentally tested the relative importance of a genetic colour polymorphism in determining male dominance in the Gouldian finch (note: FAQ 2; 2005 is the paper's publication year) |
| in staged contests among captive birds, red-headed males dominated black-headed ones, and within each head color the intensity and size of the ultraviolet-blue collar decided who won. | red-headed males dominated black-headed males, both of which dominated the yellow-headed birds. Second, within morphs, the intensity and size of the strongly ultraviolet-blue collar determined the outcome of these contests |
| staged contests among captive birds | Male dominance was assessed using captive birds (n=153) sourced from a large number of wild-type aviculturists throughout Australia. (note: vibe reason; methods, hand-cached from PMC1560236 (#991)) |
| staged contests between captive males | Male dominance was assessed using captive birds (n=153) sourced from a large number of wild-type aviculturists throughout Australia. (note: FAQ 2; methods, hand-cached from PMC1560236 (#991)) |
| contests between unfamiliar captive males | Male dominance was assessed using captive birds (n=153) sourced from a large number of wild-type aviculturists throughout Australia. (note: body; methods, hand-cached from PMC1560236 (#991)) |

## Toomey et al. (2018). A non-coding region near Follistatin controls head colour polymorphism in the Gouldian finch. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2018.1788

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| red or black head color traces to one stretch of DNA near the Follistatin gene | we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head colour in the Gouldian finch ... the candidate locus is a small (approx. 70 kb) non-coding region mapping to the Z chromosome near the Follistatin (FST) gene (note: tagline; red and black only, since the study did not cover yellow) |
| A small stretch of DNA near the Follistatin gene that sets red or black head color | we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head colour in the Gouldian finch ... the candidate locus is a small (approx. 70 kb) non-coding region mapping to the Z chromosome near the Follistatin (FST) gene (note: stats.superpower; the title says the region 'controls head colour polymorphism') |
| The switch between red and black heads traces to a small non-coding region of DNA, roughly 70,000 base pairs long, on the Z sex chromosome near a gene called Follistatin | we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head colour in the Gouldian finch ... the candidate locus is a small (approx. 70 kb) non-coding region mapping to the Z chromosome near the Follistatin (FST) gene (note: 70 kb converted to 70,000 base pairs) |
| Comparing red-headed and black-headed birds turned up no structural rearrangement there | we did not identify any structural rearrangements between the two haplotypes using linked-read sequencing technology. |
| the red and black versions of that stretch differ far more than the rest of the Z chromosome does, which the researchers call consistent with both forms being maintained for several million years | Nucleotide divergence between the red and black alleles was high when compared to the remainder of the Z chromosome, consistent with their maintenance as balanced polymorphisms over several million years. |
| A 2018 genetic study of the red and black forms pinned the difference to one candidate locus: about 70 kb of DNA that codes for no protein, lying near Follistatin on the Z chromosome | we investigated the genetic basis of red and black head colour in the Gouldian finch ... the candidate locus is a small (approx. 70 kb) non-coding region mapping to the Z chromosome near the Follistatin (FST) gene (note: FAQ 1; non-coding rendered as 'codes for no protein') |
| Its red and black versions are highly divergent, which the authors call consistent with a balanced polymorphism lasting several million years | Nucleotide divergence between the red and black alleles was high when compared to the remainder of the Z chromosome, consistent with their maintenance as balanced polymorphisms over several million years. (note: FAQ 1) |

## Tidemann (1996). Causes of the decline of the Gouldian Finch Erythrura gouldiae. Bird Conservation International.

https://doi.org/10.1017/s0959270900001301

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A 1996 study of the Northern Territory birds found Gouldian finches almost entirely dependent on tree hollows for nests | A survey revealed the species in two areas of Northern Territory (note: Northern Territory scope; the hollow dependence is the next claim) |
| almost entirely dependent on tree hollows for nests, which had been found in only two eucalypt species | Gouldian Finches are almost entirely dependent on hollows in trees for nest sites ... Nests have been found in only two species of tree (note: '(see above)' after this sentence points to the favoured species, Eucalyptus tintinnans at Yinberrie and E. brevifolia at Newry; see the next claim) |
| only two eucalypt species | The favoured termite-prone tree species are Eucalyptus tintinnans (at Yinberrie) and E. brevifolia (at Newry) |
| Licensed trappers caught Gouldian finches in Western Australia until legal finch trapping stopped at the end of 1986, and their returns show an 87 percent drop in the numbers caught between 1972/73 and 1981 | Returns from licensed finch trappers were collected annually by the Western Australian Department of Conservation and Land Management up to the end of 1986, when legal finch trapping was stopped: these returns show that from 1972/1973 to 1981 there was a decline of 87% in the numbers of Gouldian Finches caught in Western Australia. |
| a patch of trees burnt regularly by hot fires may lose its potential nest sites completely, and its seedlings may never mature | If a patch of trees is burnt regularly by hot fires, potential breeding sites may disappear completely and seedling stock may never mature. |
| A survey across northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland found 62 percent of the Gouldian finches examined infested with air-sac mites, which in affected birds spread throughout the respiratory system | A survey of finches from northern Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland revealed that 62% of the Gouldian Finches were infested with air-sac mite ... In the affected Gouldian Finches it was found throughout the respiratory system (note: FAQ 3) |
| a wet-season fire, arriving after sorghum seedlings emerge, can wipe out a sorghum population completely, because the grass lacks a persistent seed bank | a fire during the wet season, following the emergence of Sorghum seedlings, can eliminate populations completely because Sorghum lacks a persistent seed bank. (note: FAQ 3) |
| A 1996 paper in Bird Conservation International weighed several suspects | Causes of the decline of the Gouldian Finch (note: FAQ 3; 1996 and the journal are the reference's own metadata) |
| That 1996 study of the decline explains one way fire does harm | Causes of the decline of the Gouldian Finch (note: 1996 is the reference's publication year) |

## Collett et al. (2022). Sympatric finches increase trophic and spatiotemporal partitioning to enable coexistence through periods of low resource availability. Functional Ecology.

https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14111

| The page says | The source says |
| :--- | :--- |
| A 2022 radio-tracking study found that as grass seed grew scarce through the dry season, Gouldian finches became more active and ranged more widely, while the long-tailed and masked finches they often feed beside diversified their diets | tracking individuals from three finch species (Gouldian—Chloebia gouldiae, long‐tailed—Poephila acuticauda and masked finch—P. personata) often seen feeding together ... passive VHF radio telemetry ... Gouldian finches increased activity and ranging behaviour, while long‐tailed and masked finches diversified their diet. (note: abstract only) |