The Diet of Three Species of Firetail Finches in Temperate South Australia

Abstract

The diets of three firetail finches were assessed by sampling seeds from the crops of wild-caught birds. Redbrowed Emblema temporalis and Diamond Firetails E. guttata fed predominantly on the seeds of introduced grasses, which also contributed significantly to the diet of Beautiful Firetails E. bella. Firetails selected seeds that were 0.4-1.4 mm wide and 1-3 mm long because they were easiest to dehusk. Loss of native seed species was not responsible for the decline of Beautiful and Diamond Firetails.