Red-headed Finch
Amadina erythrocephala
A chunky, grayish-brown waxbill with a plain back, boldly barred and scalloped underparts, and a white-tipped outer tail. The head and throat of the male are characteristically red, while the female is uniform gray-brown. Pairs breed in arid thorn scrub, but in the non-breeding season they flock and become nomadic and irruptive, also occupying grassland, broadleaf woodland, and cultivation. The call is a sparrow-like dry chipping. The female Cut-throat looks similar to the larger female Red-headed Finch, but its barred (not plain) head and lack of a white-tipped outer tail differentiate it.
Taxonomy
The red-headed finch was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia eryocephala, a misspelling of Loxia erythrocephala. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek eruthros meaning "red" with -kephalos meaning "headed". Linnaeus based his description on "The Sparrow of Paradise" that had been described and illustrated in 1751 by the English naturalist George Edwards in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Edwards' specimen had been collected in Angola. This species is now placed with the cut-throat finch in the genus Amadina that was introduced in 1827 by the English naturalist William John Swainson. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
- Scientific name
- Amadina erythrocephala
- Authority
- (Linnaeus, 1758)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Amadina
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Nomadic movement
Behavior
Often seen in small flocks on dry savannahs, the red-headed finch is a ground feeder which feeds companionably with other species and often visits waterholes. It has a distinctive double-noted chuck-chuck call.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Ptilinopus tannensis
A relatively large fruit dove. Deep pine green in color, with bright yellow spots in the wing and a yellow-dusted head. Often found in pairs, but can be found in large groups at fruiting trees. Larger than Red-bellied Fruit Dove, and female has yellow wing spots. Most common call is a series of low, rising “woot” calls heard regularly throughout the species’ range.
Rusty-crowned Ground-Sparrow
Melozone kieneri
Attractive, rather skulking large sparrow of foothills, endemic to west Mexico. Favors brushy understory of tropical woodlands, shade-coffee plantations, and brushy hedges in farmland. Mostly stays well hidden on or near the ground, but can feed in the open beside quiet roads and trails, especially in early mornings; usually in pairs. Note the rusty cap (often raised when excited), white spectacles, and extensive white bib with a dark central spot.
Black-banded Woodcreeper
Dendrocolaptes picumnus
This is a large woodcreeper with a hefty straight bill. Look for the combination of pale streaks on the head and breast and dark barring on the belly. Large range from Central America to northern Argentina, but usually uncommon. Occurs from lowlands up to around 2,000 m. Typically found in mature forest, singly or in pairs, sometimes following a mixed-species flock or ant swarm. Listen for a loud ringing trill that usually falls slightly in pitch, where each note sounds clipped.
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