Red-browed Firetail

Neochmia temporalis

Other Names: Red-browed Finch
Family:
Estrildidae (Waxbills, Grass-finches, Mannikins, 19 species in Australia). Sometimes included in Subfamily Ploceinae of Family Ploceidae
Size: 11-12 cm
Distribution: Within about 300 km of the coasts of NSW, VIC, QLD, small parts of coastal Eastern SA
Status: Common
Habitat: Varied; dense shrubs interspersed with grass, near water
References: Simpson and Day, Reader's Digest

The Red-browed Firetail (or Red-browed Finch) is a common bird in the Blue Mountains. They are small and can be found either on the ground or in trees, usually a few together at a time.

Red-browed Firetail - Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis
Photo: Blaxland, Blue Mountains NSW

Red-browed Firetail - Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis
Photo: Blue Mountains NP, Glenbrook NSW. High Resolution (1618 x 1420).

Red-browed Firetail - Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis
Photo: Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains NSW

Red-browed Firetail - Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis
Photo: Wentworth Falls, Blue Mountains NSW

Red-browed Firetail - Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis
Artwork: John Gould, 'The Birds of Australia', 1848. Original Scanned Image.

Some Birdwatching Resources


Field Guide to Australian Birds, by Michael Morcombe Field Guide to Australian Birds, by Michael Morcombe. This one has colour drawings of the eggs and the nests which not many other field guides do (I can't think of any that do). It's an excellent field guide and one of the four main ones (the other three being above this one). The weakness of this field guide is that some of the pictures of the birds aren't as good (or accurate) as the other three most used field guides. It's also the heaviest though there is a pocket edition which is much smaller and lighter.

Purchase from Australia (Booktopia)

Purchase from Australia (Angus & Robertson)


Birdsong, Don Stap Birdsong, Don Stap. From the promotional material: "Following one of the world's experts on birdsong from the woods of Martha's Vineyard to the tropical forests of Central America, Don Stap brings to life the quest to unravel an ancient mystery: Why do birds sing and what do their songs mean? We quickly discover that one question leads to another. Why does the chestnut-sided warbler sing one song before dawn and another after sunrise? Why does the brown thrasher have a repertoire of two thousand songs when the chipping sparrow has only one? And how is the hermit thrush able to sing a duet with itself, producing two sounds simultaneously to create its beautiful, flutelike melody?"

Purchase from Australia (Booktopia)

Click here to purchase from Australia (Fishpond)

Click here to purchase from Wilderness Awareness School $24.00 USD (May not work)

See Also

Australian Bird Field Guides

Return to Australian Birds
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Red-browed Firetail - Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis

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