Photo: Graham Winterflood / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Masked Finch
Poephila personata
Masked Finch (Poephila personata) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
Found across 8 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Masked Finch (Poephila personata) is a member of the Estrildidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 13 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Estrildidae Waxbills, Munias & Allies
- Genus Poephila
- Species personata
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Masked Finch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open woodland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Masked Finch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Masked Finch (Poephila personata) belongs to the Estrildidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU n Australia.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13 g, with a wing length of about 5.9 cm and a tail of around 5.3 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 973,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Masked Finch?
The Masked Finch is a very small bird that weighs around 13 g.
Where does the Masked Finch live?
The Masked Finch is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU n Australia, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Masked Finch belong to?
The Masked Finch (Poephila personata) belongs to the Estrildidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Masked Finch eat?
The Masked Finch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Masked Finch migrate?
The Masked Finch is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Masked Finch endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Masked Finch make?
1 real field recording of the Masked Finch — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Masked Finch's range?
The Masked Finch has a mapped global range of about 973,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.