Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
| Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu | |
|---|---|
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Uraeginthus |
| Species: | U. bengalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Uraeginthus bengalus (Linnaeus, 1766) |
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The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) is a small passerine bird. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in drier regions of tropical sub-Saharan Africa. Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 7,700,000 km².
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[edit] Systematics
When he first described the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu in 1766, Carl Linnaeus assigned it to the genus Fringilla.[1] It was later moved to the genus Uraeginthus, along with the rest of the cordon-bleus and grenadiers.[2]
[edit] Description
Like other members of its genus, the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu is a very small finch, measuring only 12.5–13 cm (4.9–5.1 in) in length.[1] It weighs 9.9 g (0.35 oz) on average, with known extremes in wild populations ranging from 8.9–11 g (0.31–0.39 oz).[3] The adult male has uniformly brown upperparts, pale blue breast, flanks and tail and a yellow belly. There is a red patch on each cheek. Females are similar but duller, and lack the cheek spot. Immature birds are like the female, but with blue restricted to the face and throat.
[edit] Voice
It has a piping tsee-tsee call which is a familiar African sound. The song is a wit-sit-diddley-diddley-ee-ee.
[edit] Habitat and range
The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu is common and widespread across much of central and eastern Africa. Its range stretches from the West African countries of Senegal, Gambia and southwestern Mauritania east through southern Mali, southern Niger, southern Chad and southern Sudan to Ethiopia and northwestern and southwestern Somalia, and then south to southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, eastern Angola, northern and western Zambia, southern Tanzania and northern Mozambique. It has also been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands of Hawaii and Oahu.[4]
It is found in all habitats except forest interiors,[5] at elevations ranging from sea level to 2,430 m (7,970 ft).[6]
[edit] Behaviour
It is frequently seen at open dry grassland and savanna habitats as well as around human habitation.
[edit] Feeding
The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu is a granivore, feeding principally on grass seeds, but also on millet and other small seeds.[1] It is also known to feed sporadically on beeswax.[7]
[edit] Breeding
The nest is a large domed grass structure with a side entrance in a tree, bush or thatch into which 4-5 white eggs are laid.
[edit] Origin
Origin and phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al.[8] Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter (towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats).
[edit] Gallery
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Niagara Falls Aviary, Canada
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Female in The Gambia
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Clement, Harris & Davis, p. 362.
- ^ Clement, Harris & Davis, p. 361.
- ^ Dunning, Jr., John Barnard, ed. (2008). CRC Handbook of Avian Body Masses (2 ed.). Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. p. 506. ISBN 978-1-4200-6444-5.
- ^ Sibley, Charles G.; Monroe, Burt Leavelle (1990). Distribution and Taxonomy of Birds of the World. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. p. 692. ISBN 978-0-300-04969-5.
- ^ Stevenson, Terry; Fanshawe, John (2004). Birds of East Africa. London, UK: A & C Black. p. 548. ISBN 978-0-7136-7347-0.
- ^ Ash, J. S.; Atkins, John D.; Ash, Caroline P. (2009). Birds of Ethiopia and Eritrea: An Atlas of Distribution. London, UK: Christopher Helm. p. 349. ISBN 978-1-4081-0979-3.
- ^ Horne, Jennifer F. M.; Short, Lester L. (June 1990). "Wax-eating by African Common Bulbuls" (PDF). The Wilson Bulletin 102 (2): 339–341. http://elibrary.unm.edu/sora/Wilson/v102n02/p0339-p0341.pdf.
- ^ Arnaiz-Villena, A; Ruiz-del-Valle V, Gomez-Prieto P, Reguera R, Parga-Lozano C, Serrano-Vela I (2009). "Estrildinae Finches (Aves, Passeriformes) from Africa, South Asia and Australia: a Molecular Phylogeographic Study". The Open Ornithology Journal 2: 29–36. http://chopo.pntic.mec.es/biolmol/publicaciones/Estrildinae_finches_2009.pdf.
- BirdLife International (2004). Uraeginthus bengalus. 2006. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. www.iucnredlist.org. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1
[edit] Sources
Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan; Davis, John (1993). Finches and Sparrows: An Identification Guide. London, UK: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-7146-8017-2.
[edit] External links
- BirdLife Species Factsheet
- Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu videos, photos & sounds on the Internet Bird Collection
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu |
- IUCN Red List least concern species
- Estrildidae
- Birds of Africa
- Birds of Angola
- Birds of Benin
- Birds of Burkina Faso
- Birds of Burundi
- Birds of Cameroon
- Birds of the Central African Republic
- Birds of Chad
- Birds of the Republic of the Congo
- Birds of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Birds of Côte d'Ivoire
- Birds of Eritrea
- Birds of Ethiopia
- Birds of the Gambia
- Birds of Ghana
- Birds of Guinea
- Birds of Guinea-Bissau
- Birds of Kenya
- Birds of Liberia
- Birds of Malawi
- Birds of Mali
- Birds of Mauritania
- Birds of Niger
- Birds of Nigeria
- Birds of Rwanda
- Birds of Senegal
- Birds of Somalia
- Birds of Sudan
- Birds of Tanzania
- Birds of Togo
- Birds of Uganda
- Birds of Zambia
