African Chaffinch
Fringilla spodiogenys
Dapper little finch endemic to northern Africa, where it inhabits a range of habitats, from forested hills and canyons to coastal parks and gardens. Handsome male has a blue-grayish hood, bright white eye crescents, green back, pinkish throat and breast, and a black-and-white wing pattern (colors muted in winter). Female much drabber but shares male pattern; especially note the complex wing pattern. Both sexes have white outer tail feathers, often striking in flight such as when flushed. Song is a buzzy descending series of trills and rattles; calls include a somewhat sparrow-like “dwee!”
Taxonomy
This species was first described by Napoleon Bonaparte’s Nephew, Charles Lucien Jules Laurent Bonaparte who was an ornithologist. It was first classified as a subspecies of Common chaffinch (Fringilla Coelebs), but work done between 1979 and 2021 found differences between the two species including genetics and vocal behavior that lead to the African chaffinch becoming its own species.
- Scientific name
- Fringilla spodiogenys
- Authority
- Bonaparte, 1841
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Fringillidae
- Genus
- Fringilla
Range and habitat
The African chaffinch is found from southern Morocco to northwestern Libya, and also has an isolated population in northeastern Libya. This species is non-migratory and usually disperses only over short distances, it has also been found north of the Netherlands and in Pantelleria, Italy, 68 kilometers east of the Tunisian coast in the Strait of Sicily. The African chaffinch typically resides in deciduous forests and Lowlands comprising a mix of trees such as beech (Fagus), hornbeam (Carpinus), oak (Quercus), spruce (Picea), and pine (Pinus), alongside forest edges and clearings. In the Moroccan High Atlas it is found in Juniperus thurifera. During the non-breeding season, it extends its range to similar habitats and open agricultural areas, including weedy fields, stubble fields, olive groves, palm groves, and desert oases.
Conservation
Although this bird is generally uncommon, it is locally common, and not under immediate threat of extinction. One threat to this bird’s population is weather conditions, particularly in northern areas. Populations of this species may decline in cold conditions.
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Timor Stubtail
Urosphena subulata
A small, extremely short-tailed, long-legged, long-billed terrestrial brown songbird with a pale buffy eyebrow and a pale underside. Juvenile is more richly colored above, with a duller eyebrow and underparts. A secretive, ground-dwelling bird of forest floor and thickets in lowlands and hills, usually found singly or in pairs. No other small, nearly tailless bird occurs in its limited range on Timor and Babar islands, making it easy to identify. Song is a barely audible, extremely high-pitched rising “tzeee.”
White-naped Swift
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A small, long-tailed lorikeet of foothill and lower montane forest. Red head and chest with a darker belly, green back and black patch on the back of the head. Note the yellow undertail and tip, and yellow streaking on the breast. Similar to Josephine’s Lorikeet, but Fairy Lorikeet is distinctly smaller, has streaking on the chest and lacks josephines dark patch on the belly. Call, a soft, high-pitch “seep” note repeated. Sometimes several notes slurred together.
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