Black-throated Finch

The black-throated finch is found in flocks of up to 30 birds. The behaviour is similar to that of the longtail Poephila acuticauda, close pair bonds that are isolated or associating in loose groups of six or more pairs. They forage in a range that centres on the nest site, which is used for breeding or for roosting outside of the maternity season. Local and seasonal conditions may cause to pairs to join congregations at limited resources, food and especially water, and they may join large flocks to travel to water sources during drought.

The black-throated finch was traditionally found from Cape York south through eastern Queensland and into north-eastern New South Wales in the vicinity of Tenterfield, however it has not been recorded in New South Wales since 1994. It is sedentary or locally nomadic. It is found in grassy open forested habitats, generally near bodies of water, such as rivers.

For the past few decades, the population of this species has declined. While the northern subspecies (black-rumped, Poephila cincta atropygialis) has a status of "Least concern" under Queensland's Nature Conservation Act 1992, the Commonwealth status of the southern subspecies (Poephila cincta cincta) under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is "Endangered". The reason for the decline in population is probably due to the spread of pastoralism, changes in fire regime, and increases in the density of native woody weeds in grassy savannahs. A national management plan was published in 2004 by the New South Wales and Queensland governments, but records of the population density in the southern areas of its range showed declines in observed numbers from moderately common or abundant, to assessments as locally extinct or very rare by 2012.