Red-headed finch

The red-headed finch (Amadina erythrocephala) (also known as the paradise finch or the red-headed weaver) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,600,000 km2. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Red-headed finch
male
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Amadina
Species:
A. erythrocephala
Binomial name
Amadina erythrocephala

Males have vibrant red heads and chests while the females are duller. The resemblance to the cut-throat finch is unmistakable. The red-headed and cut-throat finch are the only members of the genus Amadina. Amadinas with their heavy beaks resemble members of the Lonchura, so they are actually more closely related to the Pytilias such as the Melba finch.[2]

Origin

Origin and phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al..[3] Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter (towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats).

Habits

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.[4]

References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Amadina erythrocephala". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. 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" (PDF). The Open Ornithology Journal. 2: 29–36. doi:10.2174/1874453200902010029.
  4. Newman, K. Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. ISBN 1-86812-278-6. p. 428.
  • Newman, K. Newman's Birds of Southern Africa. ISBN 1-86812-278-6. p. 428.
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