Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are bright, boisterous and gregarious birds, popular as cage birds throughout the world. Both sexes have a black and white 'teardrop' beneath the eye; only the males have light chestnut cheeks, a barred throat and spotty chestnut flanks. Zebra finches inhabit a wide range of grasslands and forests, usually close to water over much of Australia and the Lesser Sunda Islands (Nusa Tenggara), which are north-west of Australia. They nest in any available cavity - above or below ground. The beak is adapted for de-husking the small seeds which form their diet.
