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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Estrildidae
  4. ›
  5. Stagonopleura
  6. ›
  7. Beautiful Firetail
Beautiful Firetail
Photo · (c) Kym Nicolson, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Beautiful Firetail

Stagonopleura bella(Latham, 1801)

Updated 21 March 2026

Conservation status: Least ConcernOrigin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Estrildidae
Genus
Stagonopleura

At a glance

The Beautiful Firetail is a tiny bird, about 11 cm long, listed as Least Concern and endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
11 cm
Conservation status
Least Concern
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Beautiful Firetail look like?

The Beautiful Firetail is a tiny bird, about 11 cm long and weighing 11–16 g.

The beautiful firetail 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.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
11 cm
Weight
11–16 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

Field tips

behaviour

  • Notably secretive and shy, this species tends to stay low and hidden within the shadows of dense foliage, rarely perching in the open for long.

flight

  • Watch for a bright flash of deep crimson on the rump as the bird flushes with rapid, whirring wingbeats and a low, direct trajectory.

plumage

  • Look for finely barred black-and-white underparts, a thick red bill, and distinctive pale blue eye-rings set within a dark facial mask.

size_and_shape

  • This finch has a remarkably plump, thick-necked silhouette with a stubby tail that can make it appear almost tailless from a distance.

voice

  • Listen for a diagnostic mournful, drawn-out whistle that usually rises in pitch, often the only indicator of the bird's presence.

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Beautiful Firetail?

The Beautiful Firetail is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Beautiful Firetail eat?

The Beautiful Firetail feeds on seeds, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

6 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Beautiful Firetail live in Australia?

The Beautiful Firetail is endemic to Australia, recorded across 27 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning south and south-east Australia and Tasmania.

BreedingSouth and south-east Australia and Tasmania

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Passage
  • Vagrant

8 regions recorded