Gouldians were then trapped and exported in large numbers from Australia until the late 1960s. Exporting the birds reduced the population of Gouldians considerably in the wild.
As with most finches, the Gouldian is a quiet enough bird that peeps and sings a little. They make a pleasant sound that is doubtful to wake you up or create a problem with neighbors, though it is persistent.
Gouldians are pleasant “watching only” birds — they don’t like to be held, and can even panic and die when handled. Stress is deadly for these fragile birds. They are not typically hand-raised (only under emergency circumstances), and will not take well to taming efforts.
Gouldians aren’t the easiest finches to keep, being much less hardy than other popular finches, like the zebra finch and society finch. They aren’t recommended as first birds because they are delicate and can be overcome in extreme temperatures and are prone to a variety of ailments that a novice bird guardian may not recognize until it may be too late.
Gouldian finches are prone to air-sac mite infection, especially when overly stressed. This is a serious medical condition that warrants immediately veterinary care. If caught early enough, a finch can be successfully treated.
Although there wild populations are at risk, Gouldian finches have been extensively in captivity and, therefore, are readily available in large pet stores, from avian retail stores and through bird breeders.