THE



Avicultural Magazine


THE JOURNAL OF THE

AVICULTURAL SOCIETY



Fourth Series. —Vol. X.—No. 11 .—All rights reserved. NOVEMBER, 1932.



THE PARSON FINCH


The Parson Finch (Pcephila cincta), also known as the Banded

Grass Finch and Black-throated Grass Finch, was at one time a very

well-known bird in European aviaries, but in recent years it seems to

have disappeared entirely and been replaced by the now familiar Long¬

tailed Grass Finches (P. acuticauda and P. heclci).


Our plate shows the, at one time, common Parson Finch, with white

upper tail-coverts, and the much rarer Black-rumped Finch, which

appears to be its extreme Northern representative. So far as I am aware,

P. atropygialis has never been imported alive to Europe. The Parson

Finch inhabits Queensland and the adjoining parts of New South

Wales, whereas the Black-rumped form occurs in Northern Queensland

.and Northern Territory. In recent years I believe that all of the

Grass Finches that have been imported alive have come from the north¬

west of Australia, which accounts for the presence in recent importations

of the Long-tails and others of the western forms and the absence

of the once familiar Parson Finch.


The Parson Finch was a jolly aviary bird, a free breeder though

.sometimes quarrelsome. Its habits, so far as I recollect, and I have

kept several, were almost identical with those of the Long-tail. In

fact the Long-tailed Grass Finch is an improved Parson Finch, with red

instead of black bill and elongated tail-feathers. The nest of the Parson



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