Swee waxbill

The swee waxbill (Coccopygia melanotis), is a common species of estrildid finch native to Southern Africa.

Swee waxbill
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Coccopygia
Species:
C. melanotis
Binomial name
Coccopygia melanotis
(Temminck, 1823)
Synonyms

Estrilda melanotis

Description and subspecies

The swee waxbill is 9–10 cm long with a grey head and breast, pale yellow belly, olive back and wings, red lower back and rump, and a black tail. The upper mandible is black and the lower red. The male has a black face, but the female's face is grey. Juveniles are much duller than the female and have an all-black bill.

Habitat and behaviour

The swee waxbill is typically found in uplands in dry shrubland and open forest habitats. Some subspecies also occur in lowlands, and may be seen in large gardens.

This species is a common and tame bird typically seen in small parties, and does not form large flocks. The swee waxbill's call is typically considered a soft swee, swee.

Origin

Origin and phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al.[2] Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter (towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats).

References
  1. BirdLife International 2017. Coccopygia melanotis (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2017: e.T103814997A111171446. https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-1.RLTS.T103814997A111171446.en. Downloaded on 21 August 2019.
  2. 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. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-03-18.
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