Blue-capped Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
A slim, long-tailed, pretty waxbill. The upperparts are pale brown, the underparts and tail blue, and the bill pink. Males have an almost completely blue head, while females have a brown crown and back of the neck. Found in dry thorn savanna and thorn scrub, often in small flocks, sometimes with other waxbills, including other cordonbleus. In the areas of overlap, females are easily confused with Southern and Red-cheeked Cordonbleus, but separated by their brighter pinkish bill. The common call is a high-pitched “tzee-tzee.”
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
- Authority
- (Richmond, 1897)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Uraeginthus
Range and habitat
The blue-capped cordon-bleu inhabits the subtropical or tropical (lowland) dry grasslands, shrublands, and deserts of subsaharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 390,000 km2.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Green Avadavat
Amandava formosa
Very pretty small finch-like bird with red bill, red eyes, and distinctly barred flanks. Sexes are similar, but males have brighter greens and yellows than females. Juveniles are brown above, pale with some yellow below, but have the red bill. Very rare and local. Known to occur in flocks in dry areas with open woodland, scrub, and agriculture.
Rufescent Flycatcher
Myiophobus rufescens
Small, rusty-brown flycatcher with a limited range in western Peru and far northwestern Chile. Note its rusty-tinged, unstreaked underparts, bold wingbars, and pale eyebrow. Inhabits desert scrub, light woodland, and overgrown fields, and often encountered perched quietly on a low, exposed branch or wire. Vocalizations include sharp, metallic chirps and trills. Formerly treated as a subspecies of Bran-colored Flycatcher.
Daurian Redstart
Phoenicurus auroreus
Active and attractive songbird of open spaces. Breeds in open forests and scrubby vegetation in subalpine areas; winters in a wider altitudinal range in scrubby forest edges, gardens, and fields. Frequently bobs the orange-sided dark tail. Male sports a gray crown and nape, black face, orange underparts, and dark wings with a white wing patch. Females are brownish overall but share the male's bright tail and wing patch. Compare carefully with Common, Hodgson’s, and Black Redstarts. Song is a lively, jingling cascade of warbling; calls include a short, high-pitched whistle and a hard “tsak.”
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