Small lobsters
| Small lobsters | ||||||||||||
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Small lobsters in Gambia |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lonchura cucullata | ||||||||||||
| ( Swainson , 1837) |
The little lobster ( Lonchura cucullata ) is a species of bird from the finch family . The species was previously together with the black-and-white mannikin and the Magpie Mannikin in the genus Spermester detected; based on new findings, it is now assigned to the species-rich finch species, the bronze males .
A distinction is made between several subspecies, although the subspecies do not vary as markedly as is the case with the closely related glossy elster.
description
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When fully grown, the small lobster reaches a height of up to 9 centimeters and weighs on average less than ten grams. It is one of the finch species that remain small. There is no sexual dimorphism .
The top of the head, the neck and the sides of the head are black with a greenish to purple metallic sheen. The throat and the goiter area are also black. The back and wings are earth brown. The rump and the tail-coverts are sparred white-dark gray . The tail is black, the underside of the body is white. The feathers on the sides of the body are brown with wide white ends, which also make the sides of the body seem transversely banded. The beak is dark gray above and light gray below.
Fledglings are medium brown on the top of the body. The top of the head and the sides of the head are a little darker and grayer, the rump a little lighter. The tail is blackish brown and the underside of the body is brownish white.
The constant tail movements are noticeable on the Kleinelsterchen. The singing of this kind is soft and chirping quickly.
distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the Kleinelsterchen extends in Africa from Senegal , Gambia , Guinea , Sierra Leone and Liberia over Cameroon and the Central African Republic to Ethiopia and over the whole of Central Africa to southern Angola , western Zambia , eastern Namibia and via Zimbabwe and Mozambique to the region of Port Elizabeth in the Cape Province . The species is also found on the islands of Príncipe , Sao Thomé , Bioko and the Comoros . The species is naturalized in Puerto Rico .
The habitat of the little elster are open areas from sea level to altitudes of 2,000 meters above sea level. It basically occurs in more open terrain than the shiny elster. Among other things, it colonizes forest clearings and is also found in the dense thorn bush and in the open forest. In dry savannahs, the species is mainly found on the edge of gallery forests. The species is a more pronounced cultural follower than the glossy elster and can often be observed in the vicinity of human settlements. In the South African city of Durban , it can also be seen in the green spaces.
Way of life
The diet consists mainly of small grass seeds. These are usually taken up from the ground, but like many other fine finch species, the small elster is able to pick them up from the fruit stands by climbing around on the stalks. Swarms of this kind that invade millet or rice fields can cause considerable damage there. The little lobster also eats insects. Swarming termites play a special role. Like many other species of bronze male, this fine finch also eats algae.
Black elsters are free breeders that pad their nests with coconut and sisal fibers as well as soft grass and feathers. The nest is usually 2 to 2.5 meters above the ground in a smaller tree. It is very often set up near wasp or ant nests. In the brood nests 500 to 800 stalks are built, while the pure sleeping nests only consist of 200 to 400 stalks. Both sexes are involved in nest building. Occasionally abandoned weaver bird nests are also used for breeding. The clutch consists of four to six eggs. The incubation period is 12 to 13 days. Both parent birds take turns breeding during the day. At night they both sleep on the eggs together. The young birds leave the nest for the first time when they are seventeen to eighteen days old, but keep returning at night.
Among the predators are dwarf hawk ( Accipiter minullus ), pied crow , house crow , various shrike species , the fork-tailed drongo ( Dicrurus adsimilis ), Greater Roadrunner , kingfishers and Wahlberg Eagle ( Aquila wahlbergi ). The Dominican widow is a brood parasite of the little elk and in Puerto Rico the species is also parasitized by the blackbird ( Cyrtotes bonariensis ).
Keeping as an ornamental bird
Small lobsters were first introduced to Europe between the years 1860 and 1865. The first breeding was already successful in 1867. It is still being bred regularly, albeit in small numbers. The species is aggressive towards other birds, which is one reason that it is no longer kept very frequently today.
Small lobsters are considered easy to care for. They have been successfully bred for a long time. You need an indoor aviary and room temperatures that are constantly above 15 degrees Celsius.
supporting documents
literature
- 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 .
- Peter Clement, Alan Harris, John Davis: Finches and Sparrows - An Identification Guide . Christopher Helm, London 1993, ISBN 0-7136-8017-2 .
Web links
- Avibase entry " Little Lark ( Lonchura cucullata ) "
- Spermestes cucullata in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2008. Accessed January 30 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings of Lonchura cucullata in the Internet Bird Collection