Gouldian Finch
This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Type | Finch |
| Size | Very Small (5 in) |
| Lifespan | 6-8 years |
| Noise Level | Very Low |
| Diet | Seeds, live food, supplements |
| Care Level | Advanced |
| Cage Size | 24x12x18 inches minimum (flight cage preferred) |
Affiliate links may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosure.
Recommended for Gouldian Finches
Kaytee - Premium bird food | Lafeber - Quality bird nutrition | Chewy - Cages & accessories
Top Food Choices for Gouldian Finches
Kaytee - Premium seed mixes | Lafeber - Nutritious bird foods | Chewy - Wide selection of bird foods
Color that does not make them sturdy
Gouldian finches, Erythrura gouldiae, are about 5 inches. Six to eight years is a reasonable life for a captive-bred bird kept warm and dry. Wild birds are an Australian conservation story. Pets should be captive-bred. They need a flight cage, not a canary show cage, and a group if you know how to watch for bullying. Males in breeding condition can harass each other.
Seed, greens, egg food, and a calcium source are the diet. A vitamin powder shaken onto seed and then knocked off is not a diet. They are native to warm country. A drafty window in January kills more Gouldians than a missed millet spray.
The click in the breath
Air-sac mites are the classic Gouldian illness. So are coccidia and a bird that is egg bound if you let them breed without a plan. Do not breed them because the colors would be pretty. AAV is the clinic list. A finch on the floor is the quiet bird page.
Gouldian finch questions
Are Gouldians good for beginners?
Usually no. They are less forgiving of cold, drafts, and a seed-only diet than a society finch. Start with societies if you have never kept finches.
Can I hold a Gouldian?
No. They stress, and a grab injures them. The color is for watching in a flight cage.
What are air-sac mites?
Sternostoma mites that live in the airway. A finch that clicks when it breathes, or that wipes its beak and gasps, needs a vet. The treatment is a drug, not a different seed.
Decision Guides for Gouldian Finch
Three head colors, one airway mite
Erythrura gouldiae is an Australian estrildid finch about 5 inches long, and captive lives often run 6 to 8 years when the room stays warm and dry. Red, black, and yellow or orange heads are genetic color morphs in aviary birds. Wild Gouldians are a conservation species, so the bird to take home is captive-bred. The classic airway parasite is the air-sac mite Sternostoma tracheacolum, and a finch that clicks when it breathes needs an avian veterinarian. Seed, greens, egg food, and a calcium source are the diet, offered in a flight cage kept out of drafts. A decorative show cage built for one canary is the wrong house for a Gouldian. Head color is only a morph. The click of an air-sac mite is the finding that changes the plan, and a different seed mix leaves that parasite where it is.