Sunda Zebra Finch
Taeniopygia guttata (Vieillot, 1817)
10–11 cmLength12 gWeight
The purebred adult male has a gray throat, with zebra-like markings on the lower sides of the neck so small that they are almost invisible.
Busiest months: January, April–May and September–October · Most records: Australia, United States, China
How to identify
Field marks
- Purebred adult male: throat gray
- Purebred adult male: zebra-like markings on the lower sides of the neck extremely small
- Crown and underparts slightly browner than in the Australian species
Male, female and young
Only the male sings.
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: January, April–May and September–October · Most records: Australia, United States, China
Sunda Zebra Finch has been recorded at 102 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 14 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Western Treatment PlantAustralia4,857 records
- Bowra Wildlife SanctuaryAustralia2,324 records
- Broome Bird ObservatoryAustralia1,840 records
More places
- Alice Springs Sewage PondsAustralia847 records
- Western Treatment Plant – T Section PondsAustralia517 records
- Bushells LagoonAustralia474 records
- Lake Cargelligo Wastewater Treatment PlantAustralia426 records
- DanthoniaAustralia379 records
- Richmond LowlandsAustralia359 records
- Lake EdaAustralia358 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The Sunda zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a species of bird in the family Estrildidae. It is found in the Lesser Sundas. For almost two centuries, its closest relative from Australia was generally included in T.guttata as a subspecies; since the 2020s it is generally considered a separate species Taeniopygia castanotis.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Sunda Zebra Finch?
The Sunda Zebra Finch is about 10–11 cm long and weighs around 12 g.
Where does the Sunda Zebra Finch live?
Its breeding range: Australasia: Lombok to Timor (Lesser Sundas). It is most often recorded in Australia, United States and China.
When is the best time to see the Sunda Zebra Finch?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in January, April, May, September and October (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Sunda Zebra Finch endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Sunda Zebra Finch as Least Concern.
What does the Sunda Zebra Finch eat?
Main food: Seeds.
What family is the Sunda Zebra Finch in?
It belongs to the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 10–11 cm
- Weight
- 12 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Seeds
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Partial migrant
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 54 mm
- Tail
- 35 mm
- Bill
- 11 mm
- Tarsus
- 13 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Australasia: Lombok to Timor (Lesser Sundas)
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Waxbills, Munias & Allies Estrildidae
- Genus
- Taeniopygia
Other birds in the genus Taeniopygia
Australian Zebra FinchTaeniopygia castanotis
Pictorella MannikinHeteromunia pectoralis
Mountain FiretailOreostruthus fuliginosus
Diamond FiretailStagonopleura guttata
Red-eared FiretailStagonopleura oculata
Beautiful FiretailStagonopleura bella
Crimson FinchNeochmia phaeton
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalis
Painted FinchEmblema pictum
Star FinchEmblema ruficauda
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Jose Teixeira. ↗
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