Taeniopygia guttata
Silhouette: Andy Wilson · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The Sunda zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) is a species of bird in the family Estrildidae. It is found in the Lesser Sundas. For almost two centuries, its closest relative from Australia was generally included in T.guttata as a subspecies; since the 2020s it is generally considered a separate species Taeniopygia castanotis.
Most pre-2020 literature referencing "T.guttata" actually refers to the birds now known as T.castanotis – in particular physiological, neurological and behavioral studies generally used "T.guttata" for the Australian species, because T.guttata sensu stricto was never kept in captivity in significant numbers, and thus was unavailable for such research.
Differences between the two zebrafinches are slight. Purebred adult males, however, can immediately distinguished by the grey throat of T.guttata, while that region is barred black-and-white in T.castanotis. These namesake "zebra" markings are limited to a barely visible patch on the sides of the lower neck in T.guttata. In direct comparison, the Sunda species has a slight brownish hue on the top of the head and the underside.
More importantly, during their courtship rituals, the Sunda... Wikipedia →
Recording0:26
Australia · 2023
© mary-a-crawf · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:42
Australia · 2025
© Hannah D C 16:6 Heritage Trust · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:09
Australia · 2026
© ao_10k · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Ningaloo Marine Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Flinders Ranges National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Cape Range | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Hattah-Kulkyne National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Los Angeles | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Zebra Finch sighting in Flinders Ranges National Park on a given day, based on 35 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 94 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March
In that month about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Zebra Finch in Flinders Ranges National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, August and November, the lowest months. December has too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Zebra Finch sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Zebra Finch sightings, Flinders Ranges National Park ranks 3rd at about 10%. The best odds are in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Australia, about 70%) and Ningaloo Marine Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same order: Passeriformes
The closest relatives of the Zebra Finch that you can see in Flinders Ranges National Park (order Passeriformes, Perching Birds) are Australian Raven (about 80%), Australian Magpie (about 80%) and Yellow-throated Miner (about 80%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Zebra Finch is recorded against all the birds logged in Flinders Ranges National Park (35 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
