African Firefinch
Lagonosticta rubricata
Small brown and reddish waxbill with a blue-gray bill and black under the tail. Varies geographically, but in many areas, has a mostly gray head. Found along forest edge and in cultivation, thick woodland, and scrub. Usually in pairs or small groups. Call is a short, low trill. Quiet song is a mix of low trills and much higher-pitched whines and whistles. Similar to Red-billed and Bar-breasted firefinches but shows black under the tail. Subspecies without gray on the head can be extremely similar to Jameson’s Firefinch, but they are darker and less pinkish overall.
识别特征
The African firefinch is a small red or red and brown species of estrildid finch. The male has a lead grey crown, nape and neck, merging on to an olive brown mantles with the scapulars, wing coverts and tertials also olive brown, sometimes with a grey tinge. The rump, uppertail coverts, outer tail fathers are deep carmine red, the rest of the tail is black. The underparts from the chin to the belly are deep scarlet, with small white spots on the upper breast and flanks, the scarlet of the flanks continues to the side of the rump. The centre of the belly is greyish becoming black on the vent and the undertail coverts. the short, pointed bill is blackish-grey with a pink base to the lower mandible. The female is similar to the male but is less intensely coloured; juveniles lack any red on the underparts. The African firefinch measures 10–11 cm (3.9–4.3 in) in length and weighs 8.6–11.7 g (0.30–0.41 oz).<p>The song, which is given by both sexes, is made up of various ringing notes which are randomly repeated and interspersed with squeaky whistle, trills and warbles. The alarm call is a harsh ticking which resembles the call of the Eurasian wren. More usual calls are rising trilling twitter " trrrrrrrr-t" and a loud clear "tui-tui-tui-tui", which is often followed by "wink-wink-wink".
分类信息
The African firefinch was formally described in 1823 by the German naturalist Hinrich Lichtenstein. He placed it with the finches in the genus Fringilla and coined the binomial name Fringilla rubricata. Lichtenstein gave the locality as "terra Caffrorum". This has been restricted to the town of Uitenhage in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. The specific epithet rubricata is from Latin rubricatus meaning "orange-red" or "ruddy". The African firefinch is now placed in the genus Lagonosticta that was introduced in 1851 by Jean Cabanis. An alternative common name for this species is the blue-billed firefinch.<p>Five subspecies are recognised.<p>The subspecies L. r. landanae has sometimes been treated as a separate species with the common name as either the Landana firefinch or the pale-billed firefinch. It differs from the other subspecies mainly in the bill colour but its plumage is very close to that of L. r. haematocephala.
- 学名
- Lagonosticta rubricata
- 命名信息
- (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)
- 目
- Passeriformes
- 科
- Estrildidae
- 属
- Lagonosticta
分布与栖息地
The African firefinch occurs in patches across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal east to Ethiopia then south to the southern Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania south through Mozambique to the Eastern Cape province of South Africa.<p>It generally prefers humid, thickly vegetated habitats such as bracken Pteridium aquilinum at forest edges, savanna with acacia woodland, rank grass within and belowscrub or thornbush, along streams and rivers with thick vegetation, often near quiet paths or roads. The African firefinch can also be seen in and around gardens and rural villages but not as commonly as some other firefinch species.
- 迁徙
- Resident species
行为
The African firefinch mainly feeds on seeds which are supplemented with insects, it mostly forages on the ground, searching through the soil looking for food. It occurs in pairs or small family parties and may mix with other firefinches, staying close to cover and retreating quickly into the cover if alarmed.<p>The male builds the nest, which is a round structure with a side entrance, the outer shell consists of long, dry grass blades and there is an inner shell of soft grass inflorescences, this is sometimes lined with feathers. The nest is typically hidden deep in long, thick grass, bracken-briar undergrowth or in grass growing among fallen branches or tree stumps. The 2-5 eggs are laid, in southern Africa, from November–June, with a peak from January–April, further north it breeds later in the year. Both sexes incubate the eggs, incubation lasting about 12 days, once hatched the chicks are fed both parents for 2–3 weeks up to fledging, after which they are fed for 10 more days at which point they become fully independent. The dusky indigobird is a brood parasite of the African firefinch.
保护状况
- 种群趋势
- stable
照片
分布
鸟叫声
其他鸟类
White-throated Grasswren
Amytornis woodwardi
Distinctive long-tailed, chestnut-and-black bird with a stark white throat, found only in the western Arnhem Plateau of Northern Territory, in areas with large spinifex clumps around large sandstone boulders. Frequent burning of these areas has made this species very hard to find, and it is no longer reliably seen in accessible locations. Forages actively on the ground in pairs or small groups, running away into crevices when alarmed.
Yellow-headed Warbler
Teretistris fernandinae
A gregarious resident of dense tangles and thickets in otherwise open habitats; not found in dense forest or mangroves. The gray body contrasts sharply with its yellow head, but note that some birds have yellow on the chest as well. Prothonotary Warblers are somewhat similar, but are mostly yellow below with a green (not gray) back. Pine Warblers have a green back, white wingbars, and are usually more extensively yellow below. Song is a series of raspy buzzy notes. Call notes similar to song, but are given singularly or without pattern.
Southern Yellowthroat
Geothlypis velata
Skulking warbler typically found in marshes, moist grassland, and edge of swampy forest. Male is quite distinctive with his black bandit mask and gray crown. Female can be confusing, but her yellow throat usually stands out against her olive upperparts and sides. Song is a rich up-and-down series of whistles. Calls include a descending series of chip notes and a short rasp. Pairs usually stay well hidden, but males sometimes sing from an exposed perch. This species is at least partially migratory. In the southern part of its range it is present only in the austral summer, when it breeds, then moves north in the winter. In some parts of its range it can be seen year-round. Formerly considered a subspecies of Masked Yellowthroat.
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