Bergastrilde

Bergastrilde
Salvadoris Berga deer , male
Systematics
Order : Passerines (Passeriformes) Subordination : Songbirds (passeri) Superfamily : Passeroidea Family : Fine finches (Estrildidae) Subfamily : Estrildinae Genre : Bergastrilde
Scientific name
Cryptospiza
Salvadori , 1884

Bergastrilde ( Cryptospiza ) are a genus within the finch family. Only four species belong to the genus, three of which are considered harmless. The fourth, Shelley's Bergastrild , is classified as endangered by the IUCN because of its small number of individuals .

description

Bergastrilde reach a body length between twelve and fourteen centimeters. Characteristic for the genus is the very short beak, the nostrils are completely covered by feathers. The wings and tail are short and rounded.

Reichenow's Bergastrild, Jackson's Bergastrild and Shelley's Bergastrild all have red colored areas on their heads; these are only missing in the Salvadoris Bergastrild. All four species are mountain birds. Two of the species, the Jacksons Bergastrild and the Shelleys Bergastrild, occur exclusively in the Albertine Rift . The Reichenows Bergastrild, on the other hand, occurs in three spatially widely separated populations. One population lives on the island of Bioko off the coast of Cameroon and lives on the Cameroon Mountain . A second population lives in northwestern Angola . The third population, like the other three species, occurs in East Africa in the area of ​​the Great Rift Valley .

Bergastrilde prefer to live in the undergrowth of mountain forests. Their diet consists of very small seeds, mostly seeds of spring herbs and ragweeds .

species

The following species belong to the Bergastrilden:

• Jackson's Bergastrild ( C. jacksoni )
• Reichenows Bergastrild ( C.reichenovii )
• Salvadori's Berga deer ( C. salvadorii )
• Shelley's Bergastrild ( C. shelleyi )

attitude

For the keeping of ornamental birds only the Reichenows Bergastrild is of little importance. It is considered an appealing, lively and very tolerable bird, which, however, must be kept in a well-structured room aviary for its well-being. The Salvadori Berga deer is only imported to Europe very occasionally. Breeding successes are accordingly sporadic. The other two species have so far only been imported into Europe once. With the Salvadoris Bergastrild it has been shown under housing conditions that it exhibits a very similar courtship as the Reichenow Bergastrild. There are no husbandry reports for the Shelleys Bergastrild.

supporting documents

literature

• C. Hilary Fry and Stuart Keith (Eds.): The Birds of Africa. Volume VII. Christopher Helm, London 2004, ISBN 0-7136-6531-9 .
• Jürgen Nicolai (Ed.), Joachim Steinbacher (Ed.), Renate van den Elzen, Gerhard Hofmann, Claudia Mettke-Hofmann: Prachtfinken - Afrika , Series Handbuch der Vogelpflege, Eugen Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-8001- 4964-3

Single receipts

1. ↑ BirdLife Factsheet , accessed June 13, 2010
2. ↑ Fry et al., P. 278
3. ↑ Nicolai, p. 96
4. ↑ Nicolai et al., P. 104

Web links

Commons : Bergastrilde ( Cryptospiza )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files