Zebra Finch

About the Zebra Finch

The Sunda zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a species of bird in the family Estrildidae. It is found in the Lesser Sundas. For almost two centuries, its closest relative from Australia was generally included in T.guttata as a subspecies; since the 2020s it is generally considered a separate species Taeniopygia castanotis.

Most pre-2020 literature referencing "T.guttata" actually refers to the birds now known as T.castanotis – in particular physiological, neurological and behavioral studies generally used "T.guttata" for the Australian species, because T.guttata sensu stricto was never kept in captivity in significant numbers, and thus was unavailable for such research.

Differences between the two zebrafinches are slight. Purebred adult males, however, can immediately distinguished by the grey throat of T.guttata, while that region is barred black-and-white in T.castanotis. These namesake "zebra" markings are limited to a barely visible patch on the sides of the lower neck in T.guttata. In direct comparison, the Sunda species has a slight brownish hue on the top of the head and the underside.

More importantly, during their courtship rituals, the Sunda... Wikipedia →