also: こきんちょう
Gouldian finch; rainbow finch
A colorful estrildid finch native to Australia, often kept as a cage bird. The name is usually written in katakana.
The Gouldian finch is a brightly colored small bird that lives in Australia.
I saw a Gouldian finch at the pet shop.
Kanji form is rare; the bird is almost always written in kana.
The Japanese name コキンチョウ (胡錦鳥) is a combination of 胡 (ko, 'foreign') and 錦 (kin, 'brocade'), referring to the bird's exotic and colorful plumage, with 鳥 (chō, 'bird'). The exact origin of the name is uncertain, but it likely reflects the bird's appearance.