1. Gouldian finches visit waterholes in large flocks during the dry season to drink.
2. When finches visit waterholes they drink and bathe, leaving behind saliva, feathers, skin and faeces in the water.
3. This makes the Gouldian finch an ideal species for eDNA monitoring.
4. Researchers at Charles Darwin University, the University of Western Australia and the Northern Territory Government developed a test to detect Gouldian finch eDNA in water.
5. Collecting samples of water from waterholes is much quicker than trying to find and count birds with binoculars.
6. So, more populations of Gouldian finches can be found and protected.