THE LADY GOULDIAN FINCH

 (Lady Gould, Gouldian, Gouldian Finch, Rainbow Finch):  The Lady Gouldian or Gouldian Finch hales from Northern Australia and is considered rare in most of its range.  They are one of the most colorful little straight bills on the planet.  Many naturally occurring and breeding program color mutations are available. The male is brighter in color than the female, while the markings and color are the same; the female is more pastel than the male.  Breeding Gouldians in captivity is considered difficult and often the presence of a Society Finch is necessary to stimulate breeding and rearing of young.  Their favorite fresh foods are Boiled egg, sprouted seed, sorghum, and the seeds from the following grasses: soft spinifex, cockatoo grass, and golden beard grass.  In captivity the grasses are included in a good finch pellet and seed mixture.  The female makes noises, of course, but; it is the male who sings melodiously (listen to the clips below).  If you do not plan to breed these finches, we recommend having two males because they are the most melodious and two will get along.  Groups of males do scrap and fight, so two is the recommended occupancy for each cage/house.

Cock singing (.mp3, .4 MB)
Cock's Calling Noises (.mp3, .2 MB)
Hen's Calling Noises (.mp3, .04 MB)
Cock and Hen Calling Each Other (.mp3, .2 MB)

These pricy ($50 to $250.00) finches are laid back and not temperamental.  They are about 5" in length from beak to tail.  Their average life span is 5 to 8 years with proper care and diet.

The cage/house should be at least 30 inches in length for a two finches. Emphasis should be placed on length more than depth or height, so a cage should be longer than it is tall or wide. The spacing between the bars should be ¼"-½"; any wider or more narrow a bar spacing may result in injury.  Korey and Kim will help you with cage selection for your finches. (Jan Santor)