Gray-headed nun
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Gray-headed nun ( Lonchura caniceps ) |
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| Lonchura caniceps | ||||||||||||
| ( Salvadori , 1876) |
The gray-headed nun ( Lonchura caniceps ) is a species from the finch family . Several subspecies are distinguished. The species forms a super species together with the Arfaknonne .
description
The gray-headed nun reaches a body length of ten centimeters and is therefore one of the smaller species of finch. The sexual dimorphism is only slightly pronounced. The gray-headed nun resembles the white-headed nun in plumage and drawing .
The male has a grayish brown and white skull. The sides of the head and the rear neck are also grayish brown-white. The back and the wings are matt dark reddish brown. The rear rump and the upper tail-coverts are brownish yellow. The tail feathers are brown with brownish yellow edges. The throat is whitish. The underside of the body is earth-brown from the goiter area and becomes darker towards the rump. The sides of the body turn into a red-brown. The thighs and the under tail-coverts are black.
The females are slightly darker in color and have slightly brownish throats. Fledglings have a monochrome sand-brown head. On the upper side of the body they are a little lighter than adult gray-headed nuns.
Distribution area and way of life
The distribution area of the gray-headed nun is the southeast of New Guinea . At Port Moresby it is the most common species of finch and occurs in flocks of more than 1,000 birds, especially when the grass seed is ripe.
The habitat of the gray-headed nun includes grasslands and savannahs as well as wetlands. It is also found on river banks, on the edge of thick bushland, and in gardens. It is basically a social species and occurs in mixed swarms with mourning bronze males , thick-billed nuns , brown-breasted nuns and occasionally also splendid nuns . Their preferred diet is semi-ripe grass seeds. Like many bronze men, the gray-headed nun skilfully climbs vertical stalks. It is able to reach the seed heads of the stalks hanging upside down, which bend downwards due to their body weight.
The reproductive behavior has not yet been conclusively investigated. In Port Moresby, the breeding season falls in the rainy season from October to April. Gray-headed nuns are able to raise several broods in one season. The nest is regularly built at a height of more than seven meters above the ground. Very often gray-headed nuns build their nests in small colonies. The clutch comprises four to six eggs.
attitude
Gray-headed nuns have only been introduced to Europe once in 1969.
supporting documents
literature
- 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 .
- Peter Clement , Alan Harris, John Davis: Finches and Sparrows. An Identification Guide. Christopher Helm, London 1993, ISBN 0-7136-8017-2 .
Single receipts
Web links
- Lonchura caniceps inthe IUCN 2011 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2009. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- BirdLife International: Species Factsheet - Gray-headed Munia ( Lonchura caniceps ) . Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Gray-headed Mannikin (Lonchura caniceps) in the Internet Bird Collection
- Lonchura caniceps at Avibase