Ceresamadines
| Ceresamadines | ||||||||||||
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Ceresamadine ( Neochmia modesta ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Neochmia modesta | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1837) |
The Zeresamadine ( Neochmia modesta , Syn .: Aidemosyne modesta ) is a species of bird from the genus of the sun astrilde in the family of the finches , which occurs in eastern Australia and inhabits the open savannahs and bushland.
description
The Zeresamadine reaches a body length of 10 to 11 cm and is accordingly one of the medium-sized species of finch. The sexes are similar, but can be easily differentiated based on some characteristics.
The male's forehead and crown are dark reddish brown. Up close, the lot often looks plum-colored, which gives the species its English name Plum-headed Finch . The upper rein and chin are black, the lower rein and front ear-coverts are white. The back of the ear covers and the throat are finely banded in brown on a whitish background, the banding becoming coarser towards the neck and extending over the chest and flanks. The lower abdomen and tail-coverts are whitish. The upper side is light brown from the nape of the neck, the shoulder plumage is partially spotted white in a drop shape. The rump plumage and upper tail-coverts are darker brown with wide white ends that form a rough banding. The control springs are mostly dark brown and tiered. The outer ones have broad white tips which become finer towards the blackish and elongated central control feathers. The upper wing coverts are light brown like the upper side and have white tips, the middle ones also have dark subterminal bands . The wings , coverts and wings are dark brown, with the wings lined with a lighter brown color. The umbrella springs are light brown like the top with a white tip on the outer flag.
Females are similar to males, but are generally duller colored with a much duller head cap and a light stripe over the eyes. The reins and chin are not black, as in the male, but whitish. Birds in juvenile plumage resemble the female. The upper side is colored warmer brown and the banding on the underside of the body is only hinted at.
Distribution area and way of life
The distribution area of the Zeresamadine is in the east of Australia . It extends south from central Queensland through the savannah areas of inner eastern Australia to southern New South Wales . In the north of Queensland the nutmeg bronze males , which are believed to be captive refugees, compete with this species and limit its range.
The habitat of the Zeresamadine are grasslands, scrubland and light dry savannah near watercourses as well as on the edge of swamps and reeds. Since Ceresamadines visit watering places every hour to drink, they are closely tied to the proximity of water and undertake extensive hikes during dry periods. During long periods of drought, they migrate completely from individual regions and usually move to coastal regions. Although they are very trusting towards people and tolerate an approach of up to a few meters, they only appear on agricultural land during long periods of drought.
The breeding season usually falls between September and January, but with favorable environmental conditions it can shift accordingly. As with many species of fine finch, courtship includes a halmbalz. The nest is built in low tufts of grass and low bushes. The birds often use the raspberries and blackberries that are naturalized in Australia. The clutch of the Zereamadine consists of four to five eggs. They are incubated by both parent birds for 13 days. The nestling time of the young birds is 22 days.
Systematics
The Zeresamadine was first described by John Gould in 1837 as Amadina modesta . Their relational classification was at times controversial. Due to the nature of the beak, some authors saw similarities with the African species African silver beak and pearl-necked samadine or the Malagasy dwarf star and placed them in the monotypical genus Aidemosyne . Due to the courtship behavior and some plumage characteristics, however, it is now classified in the genus Neochmia . The species is monotypical.
attitude
Zeresamadines were first introduced to Germany in 1872. After the end of the Second World War , they came regularly in the trade and developed into a regularly kept ornamental bird species. After the Australian export ban, the number of keeping fell, but there is now a group of owners who breed this bird species.
supporting documents
literature
- Peter Clement , Alan Harris, John Davis: Finches and Sparrows. An Identification Guide. Christopher Helm, London 1993, ISBN 0-7136-8017-2 .
- Horst Bielfeld : Knowing and caring for 300 ornamental birds. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-8001-5737-2 .
- Jürgen Nicolai (Ed.), Joachim Steinbacher (Ed.), Renate van den Elzen, Gerhard Hofmann: Prachtfinken - Australia, Oceania, Southeast Asia. Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2001, ISBN 3-8001-3249-4 .
Single receipts
- ↑ a b c d P. Clement, A. Harris, J. Davis: Finches and Sparrows. Helm Identification Guides, London 1993/1999, ISBN 0-7136-5203-9 , p. 407.
- ↑ Nicolai et al., P. 72.
- ↑ Nicolai et al., P. 73.
- ↑ Nicolai et al., Pp. 74 and 75.
Web links
- Neochmia modesta inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.1. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2013.