Editing Australian zebra finch (section)

===Diet===
The zebra finch primarily eats grass seeds,<ref name="hbwg"/> feeding mostly on semi-ripe and ripe seeds (although it also takes dry seeds<ref name="ZannMorton1995"/>). The seeds are all dehusked,<ref name="Zann45">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|p=45}}</ref> and are found on stems and the ground, with most being taken, at least in the nominate subspecies, from the latter.<ref name="hbwc"/> The grasses they are taken from are commonly between about {{convert|1|and|2.6|mm|in}} in length,<ref name="MortonDavies2006">{{cite journal|last1=Morton|first1=S. R.|last2=Davies|first2=P. H.|title=Food of the zebra finch (''Poephila guttata''), and an examination of granivory in birds of the Australian arid zone|journal=Australian Journal of Ecology|volume=8|issue=3|year=2006|pages=235–243|issn=0307-692X|doi=10.1111/j.1442-9993.1983.tb01321.x}}</ref> and larger and easily dehusked seeds are preferred.<ref name="Zann50–51">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|pp=50–51}}</ref> It supplements its diet with insects<ref name="hbwc"/> (mainly ants and termites) caught in short flights from lookout perches,<ref name="Zann46">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|p=46}}</ref> in addition to flowers of the genus ''[[Chenopodium]]''.<ref name="MortonDavies2006"/> The nestlings diet consists almost entirely of half-ripe<ref name="hbwc"/> and ripe seeds, in addition to green plant material.<ref name="ZannMorton1995"/> There are two main reasons why grass seeds are the dietary staple of the zebra finch: they are an abundant and relatively stable food source in this finch's preferred climate, and they are convenient to, for example, dehusk.<ref name="Zann49–50">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|pp=49–50}}</ref> In some areas, such as the eastern arid zone in Australia, the seeds taken are consistent, whereas in others, like northern [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], there are annual changes in the diet, as different species become abundant.<ref name="Zann46"/> The diet of this finch is generally low in species diversity; at Sandringham, [[Queensland]] 74% of the seeds eaten over a 15-month period were from ''[[Panicum decompositum]]'', for example.<ref name="Zann48">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|p=48}}</ref>

The zebra finch generally forages for seeds on the ground, taking them individually. But, it also eats seeds on the heads of standing grass. To do this, it either flies and pecks out seeds one at a time, or it perches on a nearby branch. It may also take the head to the ground by jumping up and seizing it with its bill or feet. In times of scarcity, the zebra finch can use its bill to dig into the ground to find buried seed.<ref name="Zann51–52">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|pp=51–52}}</ref> These seeds are generally taken from patches which have fewer husks (when compared to the number of whole seeds) and are larger and more dense. A seed patch may be checked for many months after its supply of seed is depleted. Additionally, colonial roosting and nesting and foraging in flocks can help birds discover new patches of seed.<ref name="Zann54">{{harvnb|Zann|1996|p=54}}</ref>

This bird commonly forages in flocks, although it sometimes forages in pairs or by itself.<ref name="hbwg"/> In the breeding season, small or medium-sized flocks are common, but in the non-breeding season, flocks of up to about 500 birds may be formed. It occasionally forms mixed-species flocks with other estrildids.<ref name="hbwc"/> A feeding flock can be formed by individuals joining those already feeding, or by individuals landing on the ground together. Birds that arrive in this flock later are more likely to rely on scrounging, or taking food from competitors, whereas early arrivals are more likely to find food for themselves. Individuals that tend to explore more may be more dominant (measured by factors such as in what order individuals accessed a food source<ref name="DavidAuclair2011">{{cite journal|last1=David|first1=Morgan|last2=Auclair|first2=Yannick|last3=Cézilly|first3=Frank|title=Personality predicts social dominance in female zebra finches, ''Taeniopygia guttata'', in a feeding context|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=81|issue=1|year=2011|pages=219–224|issn=0003-3472|doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.008|s2cid=53178426}}</ref>), at least in a study that had relatively low food availability and a single source where food could be taken from. These individuals may also be less successful in a scramble competition, where there are multiple points where food can be found. The reason for the latter is hypothesised to be a result of a trade-off between faster speed in sampling an area and lower accuracy in detecting seeds.<ref name="DavidCézilly2011">{{cite journal|last1=David|first1=Morgan|last2=Cézilly|first2=Frank|last3=Giraldeau|first3=Luc-Alain|title=Personality affects zebra finch feeding success in a producer–scrounger game|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=82|issue=1|year=2011|pages=61–67|issn=0003-3472|doi=10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.03.025|s2cid=54412471}}</ref>

Foraging activity in the zebra finch peaks in the first hour after sunrise and the second to last hour before sunset. In the first instance, the increase foraging is generally achieved through many short bouts of foraging, whereas the latter comes from a few long bouts.<ref name="Slater1974"/> When food becomes less available, like from August to September in northern Victoria, there is more feeding in the afternoon, less time spent on patches of food before leaving, and the distance between places where food is available is longer.<ref name="Zann46"/> There are generally two groups of individuals based on foraging behaviour. In the first group, the probability of starting or stopping a feeding bout is constant through time, and short meals are more usual. Most birds in this group have longer bouts when the gap between the previous bout is longer. In the second group (which may consist of more birds), the longer a gap is, the more likely the individual is to start feeding again. Additionally, for most birds in this group, the same is true of the stopping of a bout; the longer it is, the more likely it is to be stopped. Feeding is also usually cyclical for the second group.<ref name="Slater1974">{{cite journal|last1=Slater|first1=P. J. B.|title=The temporal pattern of feeding in the zebra finch|journal=Animal Behaviour|volume=22|issue=2|year=1974|pages=506–515|issn=0003-3472|doi=10.1016/S0003-3472(74)80050-3}}</ref>