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Hello
Margaret,
Nice
pictures. Yes several species of Australian finches do this grass carrying in
courtship.
For
what it is worth to add a bit more: The Red-browed Finch is actually much closer
to the Star Finch and Crimson Finch that also do this, as do the Firetails
proper. Coincidentally Muriel just wrote another note about a Diamond Firetail
doing the same thing. It was unfortunate that the Red-browed Finch was called
Red-browed Firetail for a few years (and several people still do). The
similarity (the red rump) is different on the Red-browed Finch from the
Firetails proper but other features connect the Red-browed Finch to the
Star Finch and Crimson Finch (which are also substantially red and the bases of
the rump feathers are greenish rather than black) rather than the Beautiful,
Red-eared & Painted Firetails. I don't know why the Plum-headed Finch is
grouped with the other Neochmia.
Philip
At Tharwa sandwash yesterday. I have since been told
that the Red-eared firetail does the same thing, and the longer the piece of
grass, the better his chances. This fellow managed the entire performance
without dropping the grass.
Margaret Leggoe
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