What is the yellow-headed Gouldian finch like?
Expert Answer
The Gouldian finch, also called the painted finch, is native to Australia and has very bright feathers with high ornamental value; wild types come in black-headed, red-headed, and yellow-headed color forms. The yellow-headed Gouldian generally refers to the yellow-headed form, which is rarer than the red- and black-headed ones. Gouldian finches are rather shy and timid; slight outside disturbance makes them leave the nest to check, easily lowering the hatch rate, so they are not easy to breed. In addition, they are strict about ambient temperature—too low makes them sick, above 28°C risks heatstroke—so keep the temperature between 15 and 25°C.
My friend keeps Gouldian finches and the yellow-headed one is the showstopper, rarer than the red and black heads and shy to a fault, any noise and they bolt. They're Australian and stunning but delicate, not a beginner bird if you want hands-on. If you're after one, know they need warm stable temps and calm surroundings. Beautiful to watch, but they stress easy, so a quiet setup matters more than fancy perches.