CreatureData

Red-eared firetail

Stagonopleura oculata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata) is a species in the family Estrildidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 12.9 g to 20 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata)
Photo: JJ Harrison · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the red-eared firetail

Weight
12.9 g – 20 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Granivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
shrublandsrc for Habitat
Young per litter or clutch
4.9src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Perchingsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the red-eared firetail live?

Not recorded

What is the red-eared firetail?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata), also known as the boorin, is a small finch-like species of bird. It occurs in dense wetland vegetation of coastal to sub-coastal regions in Southwest Australia. Its appearance is considered appealing, with white spots, black barring and vivid crimson marks at the ear and upper tail. Red-eared firetails are usually only glimpsed briefly, if at all, as they move rapidly and discreetly through their habitat. Most observations occur when their soft voice is heard, or in flight when flushed from the dense scrub. Males and females are similar in colouring and bond as lifelong pairs that occupy a territory centred on their roosting and brooding nest site. The species occupies a similar ecological niche to the beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella) found in the east of Australia, although unlike other species of the genus they only occasionally group together and are almost never seen in large flocks.

The red-eared firetail is rare in captivity, being neither recommended nor generally permitted, as they require expertise and a large specialised environment to maintain their secretive habits; however, the observations in avicultural literature have supported and contributed to knowledge of its behaviour. Despite their shyness toward other birds and people, they are known to be less so when venturing out to bird feeders. The species is not easily confused with other birds in its native habitat, excepting perhaps the red-browed finch (Neochmia temporalis) that has escaped captivity and bred in the region.

From the Wikipedia article “Red-eared firetail” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red-eared_firetail&oldid=1371171880), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the red-eared firetail endangered?

The red-eared firetail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the red-eared firetail classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyEstrildidae
  6. genusStagonopleura
  7. SpeciesStagonopleura oculata (Quoy & Gaimard, 1830)

Synonyms Emblema oculata, Fringilla oculata, Zonaeginthus oculatus gaimardi

Other names and names in other languages (34)
  • Native sparrowEnglish
  • Red-eared firetail finchEnglish
  • Red-eared firetail finchEnglish
  • ناري الذيل أحمر الأذنينArabic
  • diamant ocel·latCatalan
  • amadina rudoucháCzech
  • Rødøret FinkeDanish
  • RotohramadineGerman
  • Rotohr-AmadineGerman
  • ruĝorela estrildoEsperanto
  • Diamante orejirrojoSpanish
  • pärlamadiinEstonian
  • naamiotuliperäFinnish
  • Diamant oculéFrench
  • crvenouha amadinaCroatian
  • vörösfülű pintyHungarian
  • Diamante guancerosseItalian
  • キョウジョスズメJapanese
  • raudonausė ugniauodegė amadinaLithuanian
  • RoodoorastrildDutch
  • rødøreastrildNorwegian
  • kraśniczek czerwonouchyPolish
  • diamante-oculadoPortuguese
  • rabo-de-fogo-de-orelha-vermelhaPortuguese
  • Rabo-de-fogo-de-orelhas-vermelhasPortuguese
  • Красноухая амадинаRussian
  • Красноухая очковая амадинаRussian
  • diamantovka červenoslucháSlovak
  • Crvenorepa plamenouha amadinaSerbian
  • rödkindad astrildSwedish
  • Aynalı BelikınalıTurkish
  • вогнегуз південнийUkrainian
  • 紅耳火尾雀Chinese
  • 红耳火尾雀Chinese

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistWikidataIUCN Red List

Relatives of the red-eared firetail

Other species in the same genus Stagonopleura.

CompareRed-eared firetail vs Beautiful firetailRed-eared firetail vs Diamond firetail

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the red-eared firetail?

An adult red-eared firetail weighs 12.9 g – 20 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the red-eared firetail endangered?

The red-eared firetail is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the red-eared firetail?

The red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata) belongs to the family Estrildidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/red-eared-firetail

MLA

“Red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/red-eared-firetail.

BibTeX
@misc{red_eared_firetail_2026,
  title = {Red-eared firetail (Stagonopleura oculata)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/red-eared-firetail},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}