In days past, few gardens were far from a patch of scrub and most backyards supported a corner of untended vegetation. The scrub, with its moist gullies and thorny bushes, has long since been developed into prime real estate. The gullies were filled in to protect the children and the grassland bordering the scrub is now routinely tortured into swathes of manicured turf. Those who can still remember the flocks of grass finches frequenting their garden will attest to the delight of their gregarious nature and constant tittering.

There are six species of native grass finch still supported by those ever diminishing patches of urban and rural grasslands across South East Queensland.

Topics covered in the article are :

• Habitat
• Urban Habitat
• Finches and domestic pets
• Save our native grass finches