How to Care for Star Finches

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

Star finch care comes down to a quality finch seed mix, clean water every day, a dry, draught free aviary, and some live food when they’re raising chicks. The star finch, also called the red-tailed finch, is a pretty Australian native with a red face, an olive green body and white spots like stars across its chest. Star finches are popular, strong birds and one of the easiest finches to breed. This guide covers how to care for star finches, from diet and breeding to housing and health, with a full shopping list of the supplies we recommend, delivered Australia-wide by Petsville.

tar finch with red face, olive green body and white spotted chest — he star finch, named for the white spots across its chest.

Star Finch Quick Facts

Scientific name: Neochmia ruficauda
Also known as: Red-tailed Finch, Star
Native range: northern Australia, from the Pilbara and Kimberley to north Queensland
Adult length: around 10 to 12 cm
Lifespan: commonly around 5 to 7 years
Diet: finch seed mix, greens, live food, egg and biscuit
Housing: pairs or colonies, in a dry, draught free aviary
Breeding: free breeders, all year round
Clutch: 4 to 6 eggs
Sexing: males have more red on the face
Mutations: yellow faced
Temperament: peaceful
Experience level: beginner

Star Finch Shopping List

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

Live food, wicker nests and finch nest boxes are available in-store at Birdsville.

Star Finches in the Wild

Pair of star finches perched together — Star finches are free breeders and one of the easiest finches to breed.

Star finches are Australian natives from northern Australia, found from the Pilbara and Kimberley through the Top End to north Queensland. They live in tall grass in swamps, water meadows and other damp areas, usually close to water.

Housing and Health

Star finches are reasonably strong, healthy birds. A good dry, draught free aviary and clean, good quality food are the best ways to keep them that way. Provide perches of different thicknesses, a shallow bath, and separate dishes for seed, grit, live food and water.

Here’s a tip from our team. One of the most important health tips anyone can get is to keep your water dishes clean.

Seasonal tip: Star finches come from tropical northern Australia. In winter, keep them out of draughts, shelter outdoor aviaries from cold southerly winds, and add gentle heating in cold areas. In summer, give them shade, a bath, and Vetafarm Spark Liquid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-spark-liquid-50ml) in the water on very hot days.

Star Finch Diet

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

Seed

Give your birds a good quality seed mix. 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 careful of many supermarket and chain store mixes. The seed quality is often low, and poor grains and filler seed reduce the health and breeding success of your birds.

Sprouted Seed

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

Millet Sprays

Fresh seed still attached to the stem. There are a number of millet sprays available, and we find French white the best for star finches. Buy them on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g).

Greens

Endive, seeding grasses, bok choy, broccoli, chickweed and Lebanese cucumber.

Live Food

Feed mealworms and fly pupae with some insectivore mix added, such as 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

A great protein source, especially when birds are feeding young. It can be added to the live food. Try Shep’s Egg & Biscuit (https://petsville.com.au/products/sheps-egg-biscuit-500g).

Vitamins

Vitamins are important and must be added through the water, such as Vetafarm Multivet (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-multivet-50ml). Vitamins added to seed are wasted in the hulling process, because finches don’t eat the outside of the seed.

Calcium and Vitamin D

All birds need a steady supply of calcium for strong bones, healthy feathers and good eggs. We recommend Vetafarm Calcivet (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-calcivet-50ml), a liquid calcium supplement with vitamin D3 that goes in the drinking water. It’s especially important for birds kept indoors or out of direct sunlight, because window glass blocks the UV light birds need to make their own vitamin D. Breeding hens need extra calcium to lay strong eggs.

Grit

Grit is essential for breeding and for the health of your birds. We recommend a shell grit mix (https://petsville.com.au/products/shell-grit-5kg) containing limestone, charcoal, crushed baked egg shell and crushed cuttlebone. Never mix grit and seed together. Always put grit in a separate dish.

Breeding Star Finches

Star finches are a popular choice for people who want to breed, because they’re free breeders, which means they’ll breed all year round. They’re not a difficult species to breed. They’re good parents, with good fertility and a low death rate, and they’ll often nest again and again.

The hen lays 4 to 6 eggs. Star finches breed in a variety of places, from wicker nests to finch nest boxes, both available in-store. During nesting, they use nesting grass, swamp grass, coconut fibre and white feathers (https://petsville.com.au/collections/bird-subsrate). Feed extra egg and biscuit and live food while they’re raising chicks. Vetafarm Breeding Aid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-breeding-aid-100ml) on the seed also helps support fertility and chick growth.

Sexing Star Finches

Male star finches have more red on the face, extending further down the cheeks and throat. Hens have less red, mostly around the beak and the front of the face. Comparing birds side by side makes it easier to pick a pair, especially young birds that are still colouring up.

Worming and Parasite Control

Star finches are generally strong, healthy birds, but they should still be wormed regularly. Worm birds kept outdoors every 3 months, usually at the start of each season, and indoor birds every 6 months, 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.

Watch for fluffed up feathers, sitting still and inactive, diarrhoea, 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 if it doesn’t improve. For more on finch health, see our Finch Care page (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/care-sheets/finch-care/).

Introducing New Birds

Place new birds in a small cage next to or inside the aviary for 4 to 6 weeks, so the birds can get used to each other before they mix. Add Vetafarm Spark Liquid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-spark-liquid-50ml) to the new birds’ water for the first few days, to help them through the stress of the move.

Cleaning

Daily: fresh water in clean dishes, fresh seed, blow husks off the seed, and remove old live food and greens.
Weekly: clean the aviary thoroughly, and keep it dry.
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 Finches

Star finches are peaceful and mix well with other gentle finches, such as Gouldians, painted finches and plum headed finches, in an Australian themed aviary. 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/).

Star Finch Frequently Asked Questions

What do star finches eat?

A quality finch seed mix such as Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary, plus sprouted seed, French white millet sprays and greens like endive, bok choy and chickweed. Live food such as mealworms and fly pupae with insectivore mix, plus egg and biscuit, is a great protein source when they’re feeding young. Add grit, vitamins and calcium.

How do you tell a male star finch from a female?

Male star finches have more red on the face, extending further down the cheeks and throat, while hens have less red, mostly around the beak and front of the face. Comparing birds side by side makes it easier to pick a pair, especially with young birds still colouring up.

Are star finches easy to breed?

Yes. Star finches are free breeders, so they’ll breed all year round, and they’re good parents with good fertility and a low death rate. Give them wicker nests or nest boxes with nesting grass, swamp grass, coconut fibre and white feathers, and they’ll often nest again and again.

How often should I worm star finches?

Worm star finches kept outdoors every 3 months, ideally at the start of each season, and indoor birds every 6 months. Spray for mites and lice every 3 months too. Keeping water dishes clean and the aviary dry are two of the best ways to keep them healthy.

Where do star finches come from?

Can star finches live with other finches?

Yes, star finches are peaceful and mix well with other gentle finches, such as Gouldians, painted finches and plum headed finches, in an Australian themed aviary. Introduce new birds slowly, keeping them in a cage next to or inside the aviary first so everyone gets used to each other.

Star Finches and Supplies at Birdsville

We sell star finches at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Call (02) 9669 1766, or check our Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@birdsvillepets) to see what’s in. Every product in this guide is available online from Petsville, delivered Australia-wide, or in-store. Live food, wicker nests and finch nest boxes are available in-store. Our team will help you choose healthy birds and set up the right home and diet for them.

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.