Exotic finches

Would you like to know which are the exotic finches? Would you like to know how much they measure and how they look like? Are you interested in discovering more about their feeding, location and singing? Find here a list of exotic finches and learn all you need to know about the unique characteristics that distinguish these tiny beautiful birds.

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1. The thrush nightingale

Scientific name: Luscinia luscinia

The thrush nightingale was formerly considered to be part of the thurdid family, but is currently classified as a flycatcher. It resides throughout Russia, but it can also be found in forests in European countries and Asia. During the winter months they migrate at night to travel to Africa, fleeing the cold.

Its size is very similar to the European robin, although a little larger than the bluethroat, as it measures between 15 – 17 centimeters and can weigh up to 37 grams. This bird has a slight sexual dimorphism. It is true that physically the male and the female are identical, but the male has a more powerful song, which is composed of hisses, trills and clicks, which helps to differentiate it from the common nightingale.

2. Diamond Firetail

Scientific name: Stagonopleura guttata

It is a historical bird, as the speckled diamond was raised in Australia, from the Eyre Peninsula to the southern part of the continent. In Europe it has been bred since the mid-nineteenth century, with great success in France and the Netherlands. Typically, it resides on the slopes of the Great Dividing Range on the Australian continent. Although the species is not in “danger of extinction”, it has been very threatened by the expansion of man, which has destroyed much of its habitat.

If it is characterized by something, it is because it is a quite beautiful exotic bird. It has a black feather mask on its face, in contrast to the red glow of its beak. The head has a white throat with the nape of a gray tone that darkens as it approaches the back, which has black feathers that, as they age, gain more tonality.

3. Rufous-tailed robin

Scientific name: Larvivora sibilans

The Rufous-tailed robin, also known by the name of the Swinhoe robin, belongs to the muscicapidae family and is a rather scary bird that is usually very well camouflaged. This species ranges from southern Siberia to southern China and Southeast Asia, being a very rare bird to see throughout Europe.

Its size is quite similar to that of the common nightingale, since it measures 14 cm. It is characterized because its feathers have a tone that mixes gray-brown with gray-whitish, with pale white and circular markings in the throat and chest area. Its wings are very strong and its beak is small, but with which it is capable of catching small insects without many complications to eat them quickly. When it comes to the difference between the male and the female, both genders are identical.

4. Silver-eared Mesia

Scientific name: Leiothrix argentauris

This beautiful exotic bird lives in Southeast Asia, especially China, Sumatra, Malaia, India, and Tibet. Unlike her other relative, she has not been as introduced as a pet. In the wild, they usually live in high bushes, between 500 and 2000 meters, at the edge of forests and jungles, in small groups among members of the same species. They are not territorial, much less violent.

This is not a large bird, as it measures a maximum of 18 centimeters. The male can be distinguished from the female by a slight sexual dimorphism: the male has a red rump, while the female has an orange color. It has bright colors, and is recognized by the black cap, a kind of black mustache thanks to its feathers and silver cheeks. The male has a yellow forehead, while the throat and chest have a brighter yellow hue that resembles orange.

5. Pin-tailed Parrotfinch

Scientific name: Erythrura prasina

Without a doubt, the four-color diamond is one of the most beautiful species within its family. It is endemic to Southeast Asia and can be seen in Malaysia, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Burma, and Thailand. The normal thing is that this bird resides in tropical and subtropical habitats. They can also be found in bamboo thickets or rice plantations. Although very beautiful, this bird is considered a pest, since in some areas they have killed entire rice crops. It is a fairly new species, having been discovered in 2007.

These types of birds are quite beautiful, but the Checkered Diamond is the most beautiful of its kind. It measures between 11 and 13 centimeters and weighs around 75 grams. It has a very distinctive plumage, since 4 colors can be distinguished in its feathers. The throat, cheeks, and forehead are colored blue, while the wings and back are green. The chest is ocher in color, and the upper part of the body is red. Its beak is black.