Stagonopleura bella
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Australia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000 km2 (390,000 sq mi). The species inhabits temperate shrubland habitats in Australia. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern.
At 10 to 13 cm (3.9 to 5.1 in) long and weighing 14 g (1⁄2 oz) the beautiful firetail is a small plump bird, slightly smaller than the diamond firetail. Its plumage is mostly olive-brown. The white chest has a fine pattern of dark lines. The head has a black mask with pale blue rings around the eyes and a thick red beak. Its rump is a deep red, its legs and feet are creamy pink. The wings and tail are short and rounded. Juvenile birds are less colourful with a smaller face mask and a blackish beak. The male has a black abdomen.
The beautiful firetail is endemic to Southeastern Australia. Its distribution range extends from Newcastle to Kangaroo Island, however, the bird is most prolific in Tasmania and off-shore islands. It lives in coastal heathland, forests and shrubbery, never far from water. Its preference for near water habitats... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Maria Island National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Freycinet National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Flinders Chase | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Great Otway National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Wilsons Promontory National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 7 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 8 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Beautiful Firetail sighting in Great Otway National Park on a given day, based on 156 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 101st most-seen of the 175 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February–May, August and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Beautiful Firetail in Great Otway National Park on a given day, against under 5% in June–July, September and November–January, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Beautiful Firetail sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
5th of 8
Of the 8 parks where we can rate Beautiful Firetail sightings, Great Otway National Park ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Royal National Park (Australia, about 10%), Maria Island National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Freycinet National Park (Australia, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Beautiful Firetail is recorded against all the birds logged in Great Otway National Park (156 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.
