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A Tiny and Striking Owl Finch

The love for all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man. ―Charles Darwin

The Owl Finch — Bicheno Finch, or Double-barred Finch — is native to Australia, and can be found in open savannah-like habitats. The “owl” part of this tiny and striking finch’s name is due to the dark ring of feathers around an otherwise white face. The rest of these finches sport black and brown on their upper bodies and throats, with white underneath. A black band divides the breast from the throat, with another black line dividing the chest from the belly area. Their wings are mostly black, layered with speckles of small white uniform dots.

Owl Finches are known to be friendly, and interact well with mixed species — and sure enough, these handsome little finches were twittering about the lush and fairy-like Butterfly World’s Jewels of the Sky Aviary, the largest free-flight hummingbird aviary in the United States — even cohabitating with the butterflies.

Owl Finch

Owl Finch Displays Its Lovely Wing Patterns

Owl Finch and Its Striking Facial Markings

36 Comments Post a comment
  1. Lovely images! 🙂

    July 4, 2012
    • Thanks so much!! Love these little guys. 🙂

      July 4, 2012
  2. Interesting bird – love your photos – thanks for sharing:)

    July 4, 2012
    • Thanks so much — I thought he was really fascinating, too! So very tiny, but so striking. ♥

      July 4, 2012
  3. WHAT A BEAUTY – IT IS SO AMAZING HOW MANY DIFFERENT BIRDS, ANIMALS, REPTILES FISH THERE ARE IN THE WORLD AND ALWAYS IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE MORE TO DISCOVER!! THANK YOU FOR INTRODUCING THIS TEENY BEAUTY TO THE WORLD!!

    July 4, 2012
    • You’re so welcome… I’m thrilled you love him as much as I do! Nature truly is amazing; little gems everywhere we look. The patterns and colors in this tiny bird are sublime. ♥

      July 5, 2012
  4. david #

    Lilliputian!

    July 5, 2012
  5. Great photos… of both the Owl Finch and the frog. I’ve spent time wandering around Florida and the Everglades… but not nearly enough. My brother lives out in the natural areas six months out of the year as a homeless man with a pickup truck and a bank account. He wouldn’t have life any other way. Thanks for stopping by my site and sharing. Curt

    July 5, 2012
    • Thanks so very much! What an amazing life it sounds as though he has — as much as we’re out in the natural areas and Everglades, to be there at night (or at all times), while the shyer critters come out to play… I can only imagine. ♥ We’ve *just* missed the shy panther, and the tail-end of bobcat and otter more times than I can count.

      July 5, 2012
  6. J. #

    Oh my goodness, what a sweet little bird! And such lovely images! How large is it in relation to the hummingbirds?

    July 5, 2012
    • Thanks so much! I thought this guy had such unique coloring… They really do look like little owls! It’s funny you ask about the hummingbirds; I have a post coming up on them. 🙂 Hummingbirds are still the smallest birds — but these guys are the smallest finches, I believe. Not much bigger, but bigger.

      July 5, 2012
  7. Very handsome bird. He (?) has rings on his feet, that means they are doing research I guess. Very good photos, Fey Girl. And love the Darwin words.

    July 5, 2012
    • He’s definitely a very distinguished fella. 🙂 I believe they’re tagged for security mainly, should they accidentally escape (and someone finds them). Most of the research at this facility is performed with the butterflies. I love that quote, too — his science tends to rule his work, but underneath it all…

      July 6, 2012
  8. So cute. Thanks for sharing.

    July 6, 2012
    • I’m so glad you enjoyed as much as I did; they’re such handsome and sweet little birds. 🙂

      July 7, 2012
  9. What gorgeous birds! And outstanding photos!

    July 7, 2012
    • Thanks so much! He’s such a handsome little bird — so unusual; truly owl-like!

      July 7, 2012
  10. narhvalur #

    Reblogged this on Ann Novek–With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors.

    July 9, 2012
    • Thanks so much for sharing the handsome little finch! 🙂

      July 10, 2012
  11. Oh, so photogenic! lovely images!

    July 9, 2012
    • Thanks so much! They’re such handsome little birds… 🙂

      July 10, 2012
      • Birds like so many other God’s Creatures, enjoy existence, even if they wouldn’t know how to spell that notion.

        July 10, 2012
      • ♥✿♥

        July 18, 2012
      • Love that!

        July 18, 2012
  12. Never heard of these (northern hemisphere dweller!). It’s really cute. And nice pics too. RH

    July 10, 2012
    • Thanks so much! He’s actually a native to Australia… We have a wonderful aviary nearby (the largest in the US), and he and other Aussie birds live there. We have the environment they love, I guess. 🙂

      July 10, 2012
  13. Oh, my, what a handsome bird.

    July 11, 2012
    • Isn’t he striking and so debonair? I love them… I was lucky that it was a quiet day at this wonderful aviary. ♥

      July 11, 2012
      • Debonair, like that word.

        July 11, 2012
  14. Val #

    This is the post that first drew me to your blog, and I want to say how lovely it is. I love to see the feather detail. We ‘cater to’ a lot of wild birds here but our birds in the UK are mostly different from yours there. So it’s particularly nice to see what for me are new birds.

    July 13, 2012
    • I’m so happy that you found me… I do love the birds, and we have many here, being near the Everglades. This little guy is actually native to Australia (I snapped him at the aviary), but I thought him so debonair and handsome… Totally unique! I can’t wait to visit your blog too, perhaps you have birds posted?

      July 14, 2012
      • Val #

        Er… birds in the background (one bird) and some posts coming up in the future… I’m kinda associated with birds for various reasons!

        July 14, 2012
      • Oh I see that! I love your wallpaper, it’s gorgeous!!

        Birds are wonderful totems / symbols / associations to have, if that’s what’s around… 🙂

        July 14, 2012
      • Val #

        I love their individual personalities. Wherever did people get the idea that they are ‘feather brained’? Very far from the truth!

        July 14, 2012
      • They’re SO intelligent. Very much so. Just look at the continued tests that are done — how they use tools, remember people, etc.! Fascinating.

        July 14, 2012

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