Gouldian finch is a grass finch known for its brightly colored plumage (feathers). It lives in the tropical savanna woodlands of Australia. It prefers open grassy areas near water and eucalyptus trees. Gouldian finches are generally quiet birds, communicating through soft hissing or whistling sounds. Only male Gouldian finches sing. 
The Gouldian finch was named by the British artist John Gould, who chose the name in honor of his wife Elizabeth. The bird is also known as the Lady Gouldian finch or the rainbow finch.
The adult Gouldian finch has a wingspread of about 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7 centimeters). It has patches of differently colored feathers all over its body. The bird’s back feathers are green. The feathers on the belly are yellow. Its rump feathers are blue, and its tail feathers are blue and black. The male adult finch has a bright purple breast, whereas the female’s breast is a lighter shade of purple. The feathers on the bird’s head are usually red, but they can also be black or yellow. The adult Gouldian finch has a blue band of feathers around its throat. The male has a more distinctive bright blue band than the female. The young Gouldian finch has a gray head and olive-green back and tail feathers. Its upper body and wings are also olive.
Gouldian finches travel in large flocks looking for food and water. Their diet is almost entirely seeds, for which they forage on the ground. Flocks migrate to the coast and then return inland to breed. Finches have a long courtship ritual, which includes males showing off their bright plumage. The birds build nests in tree hollows and termite mounds. Females lay up to three clutches of eggs in the breeding season. Female finches lay four to eight eggs in each clutch. Both parents raise and feed the chicks until the young birds can leave the nest.
The bird was once common throughout northern Australia. Population decline has meant that wild flocks are mostly found in parts of the Northern Territory and the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The Gouldian finch is considered endangered in Australia. Its habitat and food sources have been affected by an increase in bushfires. Bushfires are wildfires common throughout Australia due in part to the country’s hot and dry climate. The wild Gouldian finch population is also threatened by cattle grazing and poachers.
