How to Care for Tri Coloured Parrot Finches

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

Tri coloured parrot finch care comes down to a three part diet of seed and crumble, plenty of greens and live food, warmth in winter, and the right wormer, because parrot finches can be sensitive to praziquantel. The tri coloured parrot finch, also called the tricolour parrot finch, Tanimbar parrot finch or blue breasted parrot finch, is a jewel of a finch with a blue face and breast, a green back and a red tail. This guide covers how to care for tri coloured parrot finches, from diet and breeding to housing and health, with a full shopping list of the supplies we recommend, delivered Australia-wide by Petsville.

Tri coloured parrot finch with blue face and breast, green back and red tail — The tri coloured parrot finch, named for its blue, green and red colours.

Tri Coloured Parrot Finch Quick Facts

Scientific name: Erythrura tricolor
Also known as: Tricolour Parrot Finch, Tanimbar Parrot Finch, Blue-breasted Parrot Finch
Native range: Tanimbar Islands, Timor and nearby islands in eastern Indonesia
Adult length: around 10 to 12 cm
Lifespan: commonly around 5 to 7 years
Diet: finch mix, Birdsville Blend, crumble, greens, live food, egg and biscuit
Housing: pairs or a mixed aviary
Clutch: around 4 white eggs, incubated for about 13 days
Sexing: hens are much duller than males
Health note: parrot finches can be sensitive to praziquantel, an ingredient in many wormers
Experience level: intermediate

Tri Coloured Parrot Finch Shopping List

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

Live food, half open finch nest boxes and budgie nest boxes are available in-store at Birdsville.

Tri Coloured Parrot Finches in the Wild

Tri coloured parrot finches come from the Tanimbar Islands, Timor and nearby islands in eastern Indonesia. In the wild, they live in lush grassy areas and along forest edges, feeding on seeding grasses.

Housing Tri Coloured Parrot Finches

Tri coloured parrot finches are active birds that need plenty of flying space. An aviary with greenery and cover suits them best. Provide perches of different thicknesses, a shallow bath, and separate dishes for seed, crumble, grit, live food and water. Keep them in pairs or groups, never alone.

Seasonal tip: Tri coloured parrot finches are tropical birds and feel the cold. 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.

Tri Coloured Parrot Finch Diet

Tri coloured parrot finches need a three part seed and crumble diet, plus greens, live food, egg and biscuit, grit, vitamins, calcium and fresh water every day.

Seed and Crumble

We recommend a three part diet, with each part doing a different job.

Basic Finch Mix (https://petsville.com.au/products/avigrain-seed-finch-blue-2kg): an everyday base of white French millet, canary seed, Japanese millet and panicum.

Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-finch-canary-500g): our biggest selling finch blend. Mixed with the basic mix, it adds niger, hulled oats, linseed, vegetables, herbs and greens for extra variety and nutrition. Birdsville Blends are 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.

Vetafarm Finch & Budgie Crumbles (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-finch-budgie-crumbles-450g): offered in a separate dish, or mixed with egg and biscuit, crumble gives balanced vitamins, minerals and protein that seed alone can’t.

Be wary of many supermarket and chain store mixes, which can contain a lot of filler seed and low quality grains that affect the health and vitality of your birds. If you’re unsure about your seed, ask a bird specialist. See our Finch Seed page (https://birdsville.net.au/seeds-grains/finch-seed/) for more.

Sprouted Seed

Tri coloured parrot finches relish sprouted seed. Rinse it thoroughly with Vetafarm Aviclens (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-aviclens-water-cleanser-100ml) before feeding. For how to sprout your own seed, see our Finch Care page (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/care-sheets/finch-care/).

Millet Sprays

Fresh seed still on the stem, in panicum or French white. Buy them on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g).

Greens

Greens are essential for these finches. Offer seeding grasses, cucumber, endive, chickweed and silverbeet.

Live Food

Live food is essential, especially when tri coloured parrot finches are breeding. Supply mealworms and fly pupae with a couple of pinches of insectivore mix, 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 very important source of protein. Feed it on its own or mixed with the live food. Try Shep’s Egg & Biscuit (https://petsville.com.au/products/sheps-egg-biscuit-500g).

Vitamins

Vitamins are very important for the health and vitality of parrot finches. Always add them to the water, never to dry seed, because vitamins on seed are lost when finches remove the husk. Vetafarm Multivet (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-multivet-50ml) is a good choice.

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

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

Breeding Tri Coloured Parrot Finches

Once your breeding pairs are set up, a cock bird chasing the hen around is a good sign. Tri coloured parrot finches breed in single pairs or in a mixed collection. They nest well in half open finch nest boxes, and even in budgie nest boxes, both available in-store. Supply nesting material such as swamp grass and feathers (https://petsville.com.au/collections/bird-subsrate).

The hen lays around 4 white eggs, which hatch after about 13 days. The chicks are fed in the nest until they leave at around 3 weeks old, and the parents keep feeding them for about another 3 weeks while they learn to crack seed. Feed lots of live food throughout breeding. Vetafarm Breeding Aid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-breeding-aid-100ml) on the seed also helps support fertility and chick growth.

Sexing Tri Coloured Parrot Finches

The hen is a much duller colour than the male, who has a bold blue face and breast. Juvenile birds look like the hen, but they have a slightly orange tinted beak.

Worming and Health

It’s important to worm your birds, but parrot finches can be especially sensitive to praziquantel, an ingredient in many bird wormers. Always check that your wormer doesn’t contain praziquantel before using it on tri coloured parrot finches, and ask our team or an avian vet to recommend a safe option.

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 (https://birdsville.net.au/pet-bird-advice-and-training/care-sheets/finch-care/).

For lice and mites, 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, seed and crumble in clean dishes, blow husks off the seed, and remove old live food and greens.
Weekly: clean the 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 Finches

Tri coloured parrot finches breed and live well in a mixed collection with other gentle finches. Avoid housing them with other parrot finch species they could crossbreed with. 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/).

Tri Coloured Parrot Finch Frequently Asked Questions

What do tri coloured parrot finches eat?

A three part diet of Basic Finch Mix, Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary and Vetafarm Finch & Budgie Crumbles, plus sprouted seed, millet sprays and greens like seeding grasses, endive and chickweed. Live food and egg and biscuit are essential, especially when breeding. Add grit, plus vitamins and calcium in the water.

How do you tell a male tri coloured parrot finch from a female?

The male tri coloured parrot finch is brighter, with a bold blue face and breast, a green back and a red tail. The hen is a much duller version of the male. Juveniles look like hens but have a slightly orange tinted beak, which fades as they mature.

Is a tri coloured parrot finch the same as a Tanimbar parrot finch?

Yes. The tri coloured parrot finch, tricolour parrot finch, Tanimbar parrot finch and blue breasted parrot finch are all names for the same bird, Erythrura tricolor. The name comes from its three main colours: blue, green and red.

What wormer is safe for tri coloured parrot finches?

Parrot finches, including tri coloured parrot finches, can be sensitive to praziquantel, an ingredient in many bird wormers. Always check the label before worming them, choose a praziquantel-free wormer, and ask our team or an avian vet if you’re unsure which product is safe.

How do tri coloured parrot finches breed?

Tri coloured parrot finches breed in single pairs or mixed collections, in half open finch nest boxes or even budgie nest boxes, using swamp grass and feathers. A cock chasing the hen is a good sign. The hen lays around 4 white eggs, which hatch after about 13 days.

Where do tri coloured parrot finches come from?

Tri Coloured Parrot Finches and Supplies at Birdsville

We sometimes have tri coloured parrot finches in stock 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 and 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.