Common Name: Lady Gouldian

Scientific Name: Erythrura gouldian (Gould, 1844)

Origin or Range: Northern Australia

Average Lifespan: 8 years +

Hardiness: Hardy when acclimatized to environment

Reproduction: Stresses easily but can learn to be good parents

Song: Very low chirps and beeps

Compatibility: Passive but very skittish

Size: 5" (12.7 cm)

Weight: Around 16-17 grams

Specific Care Information: Relative Care Ease: Lots of patients. Fairly hard.

Lady Gouldians stresses easy. They have to have kelp to keep from going bald.

Breeding and Propagation: Relative Breeding Ease: Lots of patients. Fairly hard.

The Lady Gouldian is one of the hardest finch species to raise. They like to have privacy during the breeding season. Do not bother them when they are in the nest box. They will abandon the nest box if they feel insecure. This species will become egg bind if not given enough calcium in their diet.

The Gouldian Finch, Erythrura gouldiae, also known as the Lady Gouldian Finch or Gould's Finch, is a colorful bird native to Australia. It is bred in captivity, but is an endangered species in the wild, with less than 2,500 left in the wild.

Both the male and female Gouldian finches are brightly colored, but the male tends to have the brightest colors. Gouldians bond and mate for life, and the male courtship dance is a fascinating spectacle.

The finch was named for Elizabeth Gould, wife of the British ornithological artist John Gould.

Breeding Gouldian Finch:
Most Breeding Season: January to August. Some breeders bred until Dec. Eggs: Four to eight jelly bean size white eggs. Incubation: 14 days after they start actually brooding.  Some males will do all of the brooding. Young fledge between 22 to 24 days. When a male excepts a hen for breeding he will bow his head several times and sing a beautiful song,  then start hopping up and down.  If the hen except him she will start a smaller head shake and her tail will start swinging sideways.  1 to 9 eggs are laid and once the hen stops laying they will start to brood. After the babies leave the nest parents will continue to feed from 2 weeks up to  5 weeks after fledging. They take 30 to 90 days before their feathers molt into adult colors.