Black Throated Finch Care: Diet & Breeding

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

Black throated finch care comes down to a quality seed mix, plenty of live food, fresh greens, and a well set up aviary for breeding. The black throated finch, also known as the parson finch, is a neat grey and brown Australian native finch with a bold black bib. They’re good breeders and mix well with other finches. This guide covers diet, breeding, housing and health, with a full shopping list of the supplies we recommend, delivered Australia-wide by Petsville.

lack throated finch, also called parson finch, showing its black bib — The black throated finch, also known as the parson finch.

Black Throated Finch Quick Facts

Scientific name: Poephila cincta
Also known as: Parson Finch
Native range: north east Queensland, from Cape York south
Adult length: around 10 cm
Lifespan: commonly around 5 to 8 years
Diet: finch seed mix, live food, greens, egg and biscuit
Housing: pairs, in a long cage or aviary
Breeding season: September to February
Clutch: around 4 to 6 white eggs, incubated for about 13 to 14 days
Sexing: difficult, males have a broader head and lighter grey colouring
Licence: required in NSW
Experience level: beginner to intermediate

Black Throated Finch Shopping List

Everything in this guide is available from Petsville, which delivers Australia-wide, or in-store at Birdsville in Sydney.

Live food is available in-store at Birdsville.

Black Throated Finches in the Wild

Black throated finches are Australian natives found mainly in north east Queensland, from the tip of Cape York south. The southern subspecies once reached northern New South Wales, but it’s now listed as endangered and is thought to be gone from the wild in NSW. They live in grassy woodland, usually not far from water, especially in the dry season, when they stay close to streams and ponds.

Here’s an observation from our team. The first time one of our team saw black throated finches in the wild was in a remote area just outside Cooktown in far north Queensland, feeding in grassy country close to fresh water.

Licensing

A licence is required to keep black throated finches in NSW. Licence rules differ between states, so check with your state wildlife authority before buying one. Birdsville doesn’t sell black throated finches, but we stock everything they need.

Housing Black Throated Finches

Black throated finches need a long cage or aviary with room to fly, kept in pairs. Provide perches of different thicknesses, some cover, a shallow bath, and separate dishes for seed, grit, live food and water.

Seasonal tip: Black throated finches come from warm northern Australia, so keep them out of draughts and damp in winter, and shelter outdoor aviaries from cold southerly winds. In summer, give them shade all day and add Vetafarm Spark Liquid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-spark-liquid-50ml) to the water on very hot days.

Black Throated Finch Diet

Black throated finches need a quality finch seed mix, live food, fresh greens, egg and biscuit, grit, vitamins and fresh water every day.

Seed

Feed a good quality seed mix, especially if you plan on breeding. Our top pick is Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-finch-canary-500g), our biggest selling finch blend. It’s bagged fresh on site with a high turnover, so the seed never sits on a shelf, and buying from the people who mix it means better value. Be wary of many supermarket and chain store mixes, which contain filler seed and low grade grains that affect the health and vitality of your birds. If you’re unsure about your seed, ask a bird specialist.

Sprouted Seed

Always clean sprouted seed thoroughly with Vetafarm Aviclens (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-aviclens-water-cleanser-100ml) to remove bacteria before feeding it to your birds.

Millet Sprays

Fresh seed still on the stem. French white millet sprays are the most recommended for black throated finches. Buy them on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g).

Greens

Seeding grass, bok choy, spinach, chickweed, milk thistle, Lebanese cucumber and endive are all good. Never give your finches lettuce.

Live Food

Live food is important, especially if you plan to breed. Wild black throated finches eat termites, which most people can’t get, but mealworms and fly pupae make a fine replacement. Feed them mixed with Insectivore Rearing Mix (https://petsville.com.au/products/wombaroo-insectivore-rearing-mix-250g) or Vetafarm Insecta-Pro (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-insecta-pro-450g). Live food is available in-store at Birdsville.

Egg and Biscuit

Great for all finches as an extra protein supplement, fed on its own or mixed with the live food. Try Shep’s Egg & Biscuit (https://petsville.com.au/products/sheps-egg-biscuit-500g).

Vitamins

Add a vitamin supplement such as Vetafarm Multivet (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-multivet-50ml) to the water. Vitamins added to seed go to waste, because finches remove the husk.

Grit

Feed a proper fine finch grit with baked egg shell, crushed cuttlebone, charcoal, shell and limestone, such as shell grit (https://petsville.com.au/products/shell-grit-5kg), in its own dish.

Breeding Black Throated Finches

Black throated finches are good breeders in captivity. They’ll use a variety of nests, including wicker nests and nest boxes. The breeding season runs from September to February, and the male and female both help build the nest. Give breeding pairs plenty of swamp grass and white feathers to line the nest (https://petsville.com.au/collections/bird-subsrate).

The hen usually lays around 4 to 6 white eggs, which hatch after about 13 to 14 days. The young stay in the nest for about 3 weeks before they start to venture out, and the parents keep feeding them for about another 4 weeks until they’re fully weaned. Feed plenty of live food and egg and biscuit throughout. Vetafarm Breeding Aid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-breeding-aid-100ml) on the seed also helps support fertility and chick growth.

Sexing Black Throated Finches

Black throated finches are very difficult to sex for the untrained eye.

Here’s a tip from our team. The best way to sex them is to place two birds together and compare them. The male has a broader head and lighter grey colouring, while the female is a darker brownish grey. Males also sing and dance to court the hen, which is another good giveaway.

Health and Parasite Control

Watch for fluffed up feathers, sitting still and inactive, a dirty vent, or a thin chest where the keel bone sticks out. A sick finch can go downhill within hours. Move it to a small, warm cage straight away, add Spark Liquid to its water, and see an avian vet. For more on finch health, see our Finch Care page [Finch Care page link].

Worm your finches every 3 months if they live outdoors, or every 6 months indoors, using Vetafarm Wormout Gel (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-wormout-gel-50ml). Spray birds, nests and the aviary with Avitrol Mite & Lice Spray (https://petsville.com.au/products/fidos-avitrol-bird-mite-and-lice-spray-125ml) every 3 months, avoiding the eyes. Keep new birds separate for 4 to 6 weeks before introducing them, and give them Spark Liquid in their water for the first few days after a move.

Cleaning

Daily: fresh water and seed in clean dishes, blow husks off the seed, and remove old live food and greens.
Weekly: clean the cage or aviary thoroughly.
Monthly: disinfect with Vetafarm Avicare (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-avicare-rtu-500ml), clean or replace branches, and clean out nests after the young have left.

Compatibility with Other Birds

Black throated finches mix well with other finches, but like all finches they can become aggressive during breeding. Give each pair its own nest sites and enough space. Avoid housing them with long-tailed finches or masked finches, their close relatives, as they can crossbreed. For more on mixing birds, see our Mixing Different Species of Bird page (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/mixing-different-species-of-bird/).

Black Throated Finch Frequently Asked Questions

What do black throated finches eat?

A quality finch seed mix such as Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary, plus millet sprays, sprouted seed, greens and live food, especially when breeding. Mealworms and fly pupae with insectivore mix replace the termites they eat in the wild. They also need fine grit, vitamins in the water and fresh water.

How do you tell a male black throated finch from a female?

Black throated finches are hard to sex by eye. Our team compares two birds side by side: the male usually has a broader head and lighter grey colouring, while the female is a darker brownish grey. Males also sing and dance to court the hen, which is a good giveaway.

Do I need a licence to keep black throated finches?

In NSW, you need a licence to keep black throated finches, as they’re a protected Australian native bird. Licence rules differ between states, so check with your state wildlife authority before buying one. Birdsville doesn’t sell black throated finches, but we stock everything they need.

Are black throated finches easy to breed?

Yes, they’re good breeders in captivity. Give a pair a wicker nest or nest box, swamp grass and white feathers, and plenty of live food. The hen lays around 4 to 6 eggs, which hatch after 13 to 14 days, and both parents raise the chicks.

What is a parson finch?

Parson finch is another name for the black throated finch, Poephila cincta. The name comes from its black bib, which looks a little like a parson’s collar. Both names refer to the same small grey and brown Australian finch.

Can black throated finches live with other finches?

Yes, black throated finches mix well with other finches, though like all finches they can become aggressive during breeding. Give each pair its own nest sites and enough space. Avoid housing them with long-tailed finches or masked finches, which are close relatives and can crossbreed.

Black Throated Finch Supplies at Birdsville

We don’t sell black throated finches, but we stock everything they need. Every product in this guide is available online from Petsville, delivered Australia-wide, or in-store at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Live food is available in-store. Visit us or call (02) 9669 1766, and our team will help you set up the right home and diet for your finches. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@birdsvillepets) for live updates.

About Birdsville

Birdsville has been trading in Sydney since 1985, and we believe we’re now the oldest bricks and mortar bird shop still open in Australia. Owner Ash brings experience from vet clinics and from zoo keeping at the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas, now Wildlife Habitat. We’re a small business that does things in a big way. Nobody tells us how to run things, so we keep our products the best of the best.