In this quick tutorial you'll learn how to draw a Melba Finch in 7 easy steps - great for kids and novice artists.
The images above represent how your finished drawing is going to look and the steps involved.
Below are the individual steps - you can click on each one for a High Resolution printable PDF version.
At the bottom you can read some interesting facts about the Melba Finch.
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How to Draw a Melba Finch - Step-by-Step Tutorial
Step 1: Use curved lines to draw the head and beak from a side angle
Step 2: Extend the neck lines to create the body
Step 3: Draw small claws/feet in between the end of the two lines
Step 4: Add two horizontal lines beneath the feet to make a branch for it to sit on
Step 5: Draw the tail feathers beneath the branch between its feet
Step 6: Draw a crooked line across its head and chest
Step 7: Draw several dots across its belly to simulate spotted feathers
Interesting Facts about the Melba Finch
The Melba Finch, also known as green-winged pytilia or Melba Waxbill, is a species of estrildid finch that is found most commonly in sub-Saharan Africa. They are popular pets because of their beautiful colors: red-orange, black, brown, olive and burgundy. Only males of this species have the red coloring in their beaks and feathers, as hens are a fair bit plainer and darker in coloring. They are a small species of African bird, with a weight up to seventeen grams and a length up to thirteen centimeters. Because they have fairly long life expectencies of seven years or so, and because of their bright coloring, the melba finch is very desirable as a domestic pet. However, it is unadvisable to house any melba finches in your home unless you are already accustomed to the finicky nature of these unique birds. They can eat seeds, but vastly prefer and need live insects to survive.
Did you know?
- There are as many as nine sub-species of the melba finch.
- These birds have incredibly large appetites, mostly for insects.
- The melba finch is spotted commonly in thorny groves and small bushes near the ground, where they forage.
- They love to sunbathe.
- When a male wants to impress a female, he will present her with a blade of grass while singing to them. The song that male finches sing is considered exceptionally beautiful.
When the female finch lays eggs, she will lay three to four eggs that have a total incubation time of about twelve days. After the chicks hatch, both parents will care for them until the third day, by which point they will be ejected from the nest. Breeding season can be slightly unpredictable, as it is brought on by rainfall and when there is an increase in live insects as food. Whether this bird is out in the wild or in captivity, it requires live insect prey to survive.
How to Draw a Melba Finch – Step-by-Step Tutorial