The Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae (or Chloebia gouldiae), also known as the Lady Gouldian Finch, Gould's Finch, or the Rainbow Finch, was first discovered by a British ornithological artist, John Gould in 1844; who named the birds after his wife, Elizabeth.
These finches are normally elongated at 130-140 mm.
Colors A colorful passerine bird endemic to Australia, have feathers in varied colors of black, green, yellow, and red.
The males parade a brighter more vibrant colored purple chest.
While the females on the other hand, come in fewer hues and usually have a mauve chest.
There are three species of Gouldian finches which are varied by its head's color - yellow, red, and black heads.
According to experts, most species only have one color but in the Gouldian's finches' case, they have three kinds.
This is still a gray area often dwelled by research that has not been proven up to this date.
The Dominant Red However, through an experiment by Dr.
Sarah Pyke, it was found that the redheads are the most dominate.
How did they come to this conclusion? Gouldian finches often attack from above so dominant bird always go on top.
And the birds that always go on top are generally the red heads thus presupposing that red heads are more dominant than the other colored heads.
The role of color in breeding It was found they must have perfect matches in order to survive.
A red head must mate with a red head, while a blackhead looks for their same kind and so forth.
Varied head colors are incompatible and can't breed successfully based on genetics.
If a female blackhead mates with a red-head male, their children will suffer the consequences.
Many of the chicks will have fewer chances of survival.
Although in this circumstance, the female is now said to have a survival defense by producing all male chicks which have higher rates of survival.
Habitat Gouldian finches, whose greatest enemy is the cold winds, are rare species of birds that dwell in the Central parts of Australia.
In Central Australia, it is neither cold nor hot.
In recent years, a drying climate forced the ancestral finches to dominate northern-most parts of Australia.
With the population being singled out, different forms evolved in isolation.
But as the climate became wet and the savannah reached southwards, these forms came back to where they started.
But despite these facts, you can breed them almost anywhere given the right conditions of course and the right environmental setting.
Survival Since 1992, these species have been classified as "Endangered in the Wild".
Now, they are said to have around 3,000 mature types living in the continent of Australia.
That is why environmentalists have long been pushing for their protection in campaigns against making them domesticated.
Domestication and care Finches are seed eaters, and feast mostly on various millet and niger seeds.
Gouldian finches need Vitamin E supplements like those in spouting seeds, chickweed, watercress, fresh spinach, or lettuce.
Even cuttlebones used for calcium supplements are needed.
Insoluble grit needs are for better digestion which is found in crushed oyster shells and crushed coal.
They can be placed in a cage or aviary but needs the flying space possible and around 20 inches is suggested.
Wooden or metal cages should have spaces of one-half inch in between.