Crimson Seedcracker
Pyrenestes sanguineus
A chunky-billed brown finch with an electric-red rump, red tail, and red hood that extends from the throat to the nape; the hood of the male is larger than the female’s and extends down the flanks. Juvenile is duller than the adult. A secretive and uncommon resident restricted to Upper Guinea, found in pairs in swamp forest, scrub near creeks, and thickets near water in primary and secondary forest; also sometimes in cultivation. Song is a variable series of buzzes and whistles, and call is a strident “tsut…tsut.” Male Black-bellied Seedcracker differs from Crimson by having a black (not brown) back and belly; females and juveniles are almost identical but only overlap in eastern Ivory Coast.
Identification
The crimson seedcracker grows to a length of about 14 cm (5.5 in). It is a plump bird with a domed head and a broad, sharply-pointed bill. The plumage on the upper parts is dark brown or brownish-black while the head, sides of neck, face, chin, throat, breast and flanks are glossy crimson-red. The outer tail feathers are brown, and the rump and the central pair of tail feathers are crimson. The underparts are dark brown, the bill is steel blue, the eye is brown, the eyelids white and the legs are brown or olive-brown. The sexes are similar except that the upper parts of the female are a paler shade of brown.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Pyrenestes sanguineus
- Authority
- Swainson, 1837
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Pyrenestes
Range and habitat
The crimson seedcracker is native to tropical West Africa, where its range extends from Senegal and Gambia to southern Mali and Ivory Coast. It occurs in dense undergrowth in freshwater swamps, marshes, besides tidal creeks and rice paddies, and in bushy habitats near rivers and streams.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
The crimson seedcracker has a broad, strong bill and feeds on grass, sedge and rice seeds, especially seeds that are hard to break open. It forages through the undergrowth, but can sometimes be observed feeding on the ground in the open in the vicinity of scrub, in pairs or in the company of bluebills or other small birds. When it takes to the wing, it rises with a series of twists, before setting off with an undulating flight, similar to that of a sparrow. Breeding takes place in September. The crimson seedcracker exhibits polymorphism, there being two morphs, large-billed individuals and small-billed ones. These morphs are unrelated to gender, body size, age or geographical origin, but are associated with differences in diet, with the larger-billed morphs able to tackle larger and harder seeds such as those of the nutrushes; it is hypothesized that a mutation in a single gene had a large effect on the morphology of individuals.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
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