Investigating Conservation Efforts of the Endangered Gouldian Finch

Bill Van Patten - July 2009

It is currently estimated that there are less than 2500 Gouldian finches left in nature.  That number may seem high, but when you consider their entire population consists of just 10 or 12 groups of less than 200 birds scattered across the tropical savannahs of northern Australia it is easy to understand why the Gouldian finch is listed as an endangered species by the Australian government.  With a relatively short lifespan and their position as a food chain species, the Gouldian finch is actually on the brink of extinction.


In September of 2008, I had the opportunity to travel to Australia to study the conservation efforts of the Save the Gouldian Fund (STGF), a registered charity in Australia dedicated to the study and conservation of the wild Gouldian finch.  My time was spent on a study of the conservation efforts being conducted by the STGF in the "bush" of northern Australia, as well as observing their captive research program at a facility based just 2 hours north of Sydney.

The Save the Gouldian Fund was founded by Mike Fidler, considered by many to be the foremost breeder of Gouldian finches in the world, and co-author of the book "The Gouldian Finch."  After retiring from his business career in the United Kingdom, he moved to Australia in 2002 to establish what has now become the largest finch conservation program in the world.  The chief research scientist at the STGF is Dr. Sarah Pryke (Macquarie University – Sydney) who is supported by a number of research biologists from Macquarie as well as other Australian universities.

At its inception, the Save the Gouldian Fund purchased over 700,000 contiguous acres of land in northwest Australia which was donated to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy for the purpose of conservation research focused on the species of the northern tropical savannahs.  The STGF has since partnered with the World Wildlife Fund in a research program studying the impact of the land management practices of the cattle industry in northern Australia, as overgrazing and the associated burning of grasslands to produce green biomass for cattle feed is thought to be the single largest contributing factor in the demise of the wild Gouldian.

Other activities of the Save the Gouldian Fund include the nearing completion of a field research station in the township of Wyndham designed to accommodate up to 20 scientists, and plans for a Bird Sanctuary and Interpretation Center located at the Marglu Billabong in the Parry Creek Nature Reserve (an 89,000 acre protected wilderness area near Wyndham).  The Marglu Bird Sanctuary and Interpretation Center is intended to be an eco-friendly learning destination for the public designed to minimize the impact of humans in the wilderness area while at the same time allowing them to gain insight into the conservation efforts underway to preserve the tropical savannahs and wetlands of northern Australia.

The activities of the Save the Gouldian Fund have become more than just an effort to save the wild Gouldian finch.  The Save the Gouldian Fund is now focused on saving an entire ecosystem and the wild Gouldian with it!


Bill Van Patten operates a commercial aviary located in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that specializes in breeding Gouldian finches.  He also serves as the U.S. Communications Officer for the Save the Gouldian Fund, coordinating the distribution of media releases and fund raising activities in the United States.  For more information on Gouldian finches visit Bill’s website at www.FabulousFinch.com