Rare firetail finch a sight to behold
ONLY four of Australia’s many native finches are known from the Geelong region.
Of the four, one is abundant and locally widespread.
The red-browed finch is a resident of the grasslands and forests throughout our region, nesting each year in the prickly wattles at Buckley Falls.
By contrast, the zebra finch has just a small population in and around the You Yangs.
Another rare local is the diamond firetail, also resident at the You Yangs and adjacent woodlands.
The rarest, and least known, is the aptly-named beautiful firetail.
Its preferred habitat is the wet heathland of the Otway Ranges, from Anglesea to Gellibrand.
It has never been abundant here, but small numbers appear to have survived the environmental changes that have taken place over the years.
Memory takes me back to the early 1960s when we found a nest at Gum Flat in the wonderful Anglesea Heath.
That was before the area was leased to Alcoa, but despite the work done in establishing a coal mine and power generator, Gum Flat seems to have survived.
The largest hazard was the possible lowering of the groundwater and as a consequence, damage to the heathlands. Like most of the native finches, the beautiful firetail builds a large, footballshaped nest from dry grasses, with an entrance at one end.
Beautiful firetails are found across southeastern Australia including Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands where, in some places, they are quite abundant and conspicuous.
The related red-eared firetail is found in Western Australia. Wildlife information and questions can be sent to ppescott@optusnet.com.au