Black-throated Finches are now listed as threatened in New South Wales and vulnerable in Queensland, Australia . Photo courtesy Geoff Jones
Black-throated finches are monomorphic. Sexually they look the same, only a very well trained eye will be able to see the difference. Photo courtesy Geoff Jones
Black-throated Finches are virtually extinct in some of its previous habitat areas in south western Australia. Photo courtesy Geoff Jones
The black-throated finch (Poephila cincta), or parson finch as it is sometimes referred to, is a species of estrildid finch found in grassy woodlands throughout north-east Australia from Cape York Peninsula to north-east New South Wales. It is often seen near water and rivers.
The black-throated finch has two subspecies, with intermediate forms found between the two.
- Poephila cincta cincta is a white-rumped form found south of Townsville
- Poephila cincta atropygialis is a black-rumped form found north of Cairns and it is believed it is extending its range southwards.
- For the past few decades, the population of this species has declined; the southern subspecies has now been declared threatened in New South Wales and vulnerable in Queensland. According to various published scientific reports it appears to have vanished from 80% of its former range.
Today a lot of excellent research work on the species is being done by the Black-throated Finch Recovery Team, Department of Environment and Climate Change ( NSW ) and the Wildlife Service.
The Rare Finch Conservation Group would publicly like to thank Geoff Jones from Australia who kindly donated the 3 photographs of the Black-throated finch to the RFCG, in the interest to help advance the public awareness and beauty of finches on an international basis
The Rare Finch Conservation Group is registered in South Africa as a non-profit organisation and is dependant on donors and sponsors to carry out its conservation work on finches in the wild. For more info visit http://www.rarefinch.org or write to the secretary at editor@avitalk.co.za
SEE – CONSERVE – ENJOY
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