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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Estrildidae
  4. ›
  5. Stizoptera
  6. ›
  7. Double-barred Finch
Double-barred Finch
Photo · (c) Martin Hannan-Jones, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Double-barred Finch

Stizoptera bichenovii(Vigors & Horsfield, 1827)

Updated 11 June 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Estrildidae
Genus
Stizoptera

At a glance

The Double-barred Finch is a tiny bird, about 10–12 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
10–12 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Voice
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Double-barred Finch look like?

The Double-barred Finch is a tiny bird, about 10–12 cm long and weighing 7–12 g.

The double-barred finch is an estrildid finch found in dry savannah, tropical (lowland) dry grassland and shrubland habitats in northern and eastern Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Bicheno's finch or as the owl finch, the latter of which owing to the dark ring of feathers around the face. It is the only species placed in the genus Stizoptera .

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
10–12 cm
Weight
7–12 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Double-barred Finch?

The Double-barred Finch 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

04 · Voice

What it sounds like

Call

Sockrosma · Castledoyle Rd, Armidale, NSW, AU

Call

Jono · Cossington Smith Cr before Fairweather Cct, Lyneham ACT 2602, Australia

Call

Jono · Cossington Smith Cr before Fairweather Cct, Lyneham ACT 2602, Australia

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Double-barred Finch eat?

The Double-barred Finch feeds on seeds and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

4 photos

The BirdUp app

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Double-barred Finch live in Australia?

The Double-barred Finch is endemic to Australia, recorded across 51 of Australia’s bioregions, with a core range spanning north and east Australia.

BreedingNorth and east Australia

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Resident
  • Vagrant

8 regions recorded