Abstract
The Parson or Black-throated Finch
(Poephila cincta), the second of the three
species of the genus, is much less common
in captivity than the Shaftail ,
though more readily available than the
Masked Grassfinch. The relatively fewer
numbers of Parson Finches is probably
due to a lack of popularity amongst
breeders because of their less colorful
similarity to the Shaftail.
The adult Parson male is almost a
carbon copy of the Shaftail except the
grey area of the crown and nape is darker
in tone with a hint of silver. The back
also appears to be a darker shade of
brown. The most obvious differences are
the Parson's black beak and the absence
of the elongated tail feathers.