Star Finches are attractive, friendly, and peaceable birds named for the twinkling white spots that give them a sparkling appearance. A medium-size finch, measuring just under 5 inches, the Star is predominantly light olive-green, with a red face and white spots on the neck, chest, sides, and base of tail. The belly is yellow, the tail rusty, the bill orange, and the legs yellow. Although both males and females look very similar, they are actually quite easy to sex, especially if you can see them side by side. The colored area on the
male's face is larger and brighter than on the female, and the female's plumage is generally a little duller in color. Stars are easy to keep, making them suitable for beginners, and they pose enough of a breeding challenge to interest experienced finch lovers too. But most people seem to like them just because they're just so, well, nice-ask
anyone who's owned Stars what they think of the birds and you'll probably get answers like these:
* "They're my favorites-I think they listen to me when I talk to them."
* "Superb finches, one of the nicest, most pleasant Australian types to keep."
* "I love 'em-great fun!"
Stars get along well with other small finches, and make excellent additions to a mixed flight or aviary, but keep in mind that larger and more aggressive birds may take advantage of their shy and peaceful nature. Another reason to keep them with fewer or less boisterous companions is so you don't miss the male's melodious song, delivered sotto voce. Stars are generally higher-priced than many of the more easily-bred finches since they can no longer be imported from the wild, and in captivity frequently demonstrate somewhat lackluster parenting skills (more below). The Star Finch is listed in the National Finch and Softbill Society's FinchSave program.
Star Finches are sociable birds that should never be kept alone; keeping one or more pairs will satisfy their need for social contact and allow you to observe them behaving more as they would in a small flock in the wild. Like most finches, Stars do not need or appreciate human contact-if you're looking for a small, friendly bird that will become hand-tame, why not investigate a budgie or a cockatiel?
Similarly, although male Star Finches sing a pretty, soft song, if you're looking to share your pad with Sting (or Yanni), you may be happier with a Green Singing Finch or a Canary!
Star Finches are members of the Estrildidae bird family, and are one of a group
of Australian grassfinches that also includes the Diamond Sparrow and Owl
Finch. In the wild, look for flocks of Star Finches in tall grass, bushes, or
trees near wet grasslands or irrigated areas. Often, they are found near rice
or sugar-cane fields. Interestingly, Stars can drink without raising their
beaks to let the water run down their throats-perhaps an evolutionary
adaptation that lets them take advantage of meager water sources, and spend
less time on the ground exposed to predators.
There are two naturally-occurring forms:
* The familiar Red-faced Star Finch, Neochmia ruficauda clarescens, locally
common across the north of Australia.
* The extremely rare Eastern Star Finch, Neochmia ruficauda ruficauda, similar
to the Red-faced but lacking the yellow underparts. Found only in isolated
areas in eastern Australia, this form is considered endangered (due to habitat
destruction), with very few reported sightings in the last 50 years. In 1983,
during a two-month study supported by the Royal Australian Ornithological Union
to develop a recovery plan for the
species in northern Queensland, no birds were found. As far as I can tell, this
form is not represented in aviculture.
Working from the Red-faced Star Finch, breeders have developed yellow-faced and
bronze-faced mutations. These birds are identical to the red-faced variety,
except for the color of the feathers around the face.
With Stars (as with most other finches), the roomier the cage or flight, the happier the birds will be. If you house your Stars in a cage, choose one that's at least 30 inches long so the birds can fly freely. Also, make sure it's designed for finches, not cockatiels or small parrots-the spacing between the bars should be no larger than one-half inch. Since Stars can be shy, providing some plants (real or otherwise) will help make them feel more secure, and give them places to hide. True to their grassfinch heritage, Stars more than almost any other finch appreciate the opportunity to perch on upright stalks or branches rather than horizontal perches.
Stars generally do not sleep in a nest, preferring the highest perch possible.
One successful breeder says that his female will stop brooding the young as
soon as possible so she can leave the nest and sleep on a branch. Since they
don't sleep in a nest where they can keep each other warm, you'll need to
provide a sheltered sleeping area if you house your Stars in an outside aviary,
to protect them from the cold and damp even during the warm season. Whether you
keep you birds inside or out, don't expose them to temperatures of less than
55-60:F (12-15:C) for more than brief periods.
To keep their unique plumage in top shape, Stars absolutely require frequent
opportunities for bathing. Several sources also indicate that without some
natural sunlight, the feathers become dull and faded. If you keep your birds
indoors year-round, this requirement perhaps could be addressed through careful
balancing of artificial light sources.
Star Finches will thrive on a typically varied finch diet-a good basic finch
seed mix, fresh greens, grated fresh or cooked vegetables, mashed hard-boiled
egg, soaked seed, spray millet, and cooked rice. Many Stars will accept meal
worms. Provide a cuttlebone for calcium and grit to aid digestion. Like most
finches, Stars love fresh seedheads (crabgrass is a good choice, and commonly
available). You might try leaving the stalks long and fastening them in an
upright position, so your Stars can feed in true grassfinch fashion by climbing
up the stalks to pick out the fresh seeds.
The frustrating thing about breeding Star Finches is that although they're
often more than willing to build nests and lay eggs, their parenting skills
sometimes leave a lot to be desired-one Star lover calls them "good breeders,
but poor feeders". They may refuse to incubate or feed, or throw their chicks
out of the nest, so many Stars are fostered using Society Finches-they are
supposedly among the easiest of finches to foster. Some breeders report no
particular difficulties in breeding Stars, but do recommend a spacious cage and
a high-quality protein supplement.
The male Star Finch courts the female with song, often sitting very close to
her and peering into her face as if to ensure she gets the message. Other Stars
may cluster around the singing male to watch and listen. The male also performs
a mating dance, swaying from side to side with a little up and down motion, in
a slower version of the Gouldian Finch's hop dance. While he dances, the male
almost always holds a feather or piece of nesting material by the very tip,
waving it from side to side to indicate he's ready and able to join in the
tasks of building a nest and raising young. Breeding season is probably the
only time when a male Star will get at all aggressive or territorial, and then
only in the immediate nesting territory.
A pair will frequently build their own round nest using various grasses,
shredded paper, and other nesting materials; some pairs will accept a large
basket or half-open box. The female lays 3-6 eggs, then both partners incubate
the eggs for about 14 days. The babies are fed in the nest by both parents for
about a month. In the wild, the rearing diet is primarily insects. To raise
young successfully in captivity, Stars require a rich bill of fare throughout
the breeding season-greens, seeds, insects, egg food, and a commercial rearing
mixture. One breeder succeeds-without fostering-by offering seeds, meal worms,
bread soaked in milk and maple syrup, hard-boiled egg, and some live plants
(mostly herbs like basil, rosemary, etc.).
Once out of the nest, young Star Finches are strong flyers, and after only a
few days will join their parents at night on the top-most branches. Stars are
unusual in that they pass through a distinct sub-adult plumage when they look
similar to the adult, but show no spots or red feathering on the head. They
start showing some red coloring at about three months, and can take up to nine
months to reach the full adult plumage.
* Koepff: THE NEW FINCH HANDBOOK, Barron's (1985)-See the inside front cover
for a wonderful photograph of three Star Finches clinging to stalks of grass.
* Pizzey: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA, Collins (1985)
* Slater: THE SLATER FIELD GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN BIRDS, Landsdowne-Rigby (1988)
* Vriends: SIMON AND SCHUSTER'S GUIDE TO PET BIRDS, Simon and Schuster (1984)
* Enehjelm: FINCHES, T.F.H. Publications (1989)
* Bates and Busenbark: INTRODUCTION TO FINCHES AND SOFTBILLS, T.F.H.
Publications (1968)
* Noreen: YOUR FIRST FINCH, T.F.H. Publications (1991)
* Aviary & Cage Bird Society of South Florida-Support page for Star Finches
(www.netscs.com/feathers/star.htm)
... and a special thanks to the members of FinchChat who shared their
experiences with me!
