"Star Finch (Neochmia ruficauda clarescens) male"
Kimberly L. Maute, PhD Student

Star Finches are most often associated with the open coastal savannas of Northern Australia, where flocks of hundreds have be seen flying in to remote waterholes in the seasonally dry grasslands. Some populations live in coastal Casuarina woodlands, where abundant water and seed may lead them to a more sedentary lifestyle. In these areas, birds do not fly en-mass to feeding and watering sites, but travel locally in smaller groups. By monitoring populations in both habitats, we hope to uncover the health effects of these different lifestyles.