zebra finch
A small, common finch native to Australia, often kept as a pet in Japan. Scientific name: Taeniopygia guttata.
The zebra finch is a small and cute bird.
I bought a zebra finch at the pet shop.
Hiragana variant, less common than katakana but still seen.
Kanji spelling using 華; rarely used in practice.
Kanji spelling using 花; rarely used in practice.
The Japanese name キンカチョウ (錦華鳥/錦花鳥) literally means 'brocade flower bird', referring to its colorful plumage. The exact derivation is uncertain, but it is a coined name for the species.