Three of Australia’s nineteen to twenty-one recognised “finch” species are “firetails”.
(Australia has the world’s most “collectible”/“beautiful” finch species, but some members of the human species do not regard Australia’s finches as “true” finches)
Arguably, the finest-feathered firetail is the one that naturally occurs only in a small portion of a single Australian State.
Within its range, this species is neither rare nor threatened.
However, remarkably few humans have seen this bird.
An even smaller number have ever managed to see one, properly.
Stagonopleura oculata – the red-eared firetail – lives in densely vegetated parts of Western Australia’s southwestern corner.
This very petite seed-eater (primarily; it does also eat insects & their larvae) is the most solitary and shy/secretive of Australia’s finches.
It is rarely “out in the open”, and seldom stays still.
Humans who do see one usually get only a fleeting glimpse, which easily misleads them into thinking that the red-eared firetail is a drab little bird.
As you can see, that is very definitely not the case.
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Pelican Yoga’s next destination is Bass Strait’s biggest island.
Only around one thousand humans reside there.
However, one of Flinders Island’s very modestly-sized offshore islands is “home base” for millions of members of another species; theirs is the world’s largest shearwater “colony”.
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