The Gouldian finch (Chloebia gouldiae ) was named in 1841 by English ornithologist, John Gould, who called these gorgeous little birds after his late wife, Lady Elizabeth Gould, and decreed them the most beautiful finch in the world. Also known as the Lady Gouldian finch and the rainbow finch, it occurs naturally in a variety of striking colours, and is generally differentiated in name by the colour of the head – e.g. the black-headed, the red-headed, and the yellow-headed. Gouldian finches are native to the grasslands of Australia.
