Titmouse
| Titmouse | ||||||||||||
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Titmouse |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nesocharis shelleyi | ||||||||||||
| ( Alexander , 1903) |
The titmouse ( Nesocharis shelleyi ), also known as Shelley's olivasrild , is an African species from the finch family . In addition to the nominate form Nesocharis shelleyi shelleyi Alexander, 1903, a subspecies has been described: Nesocharis shelleyi bansoensis Bannerman, 1923.
description
The titmouse reaches a body length of eight centimeters and is therefore one of the smallest species of finch. The body mass is only between six and nine grams.
The males of the titmouse have a black head and a black throat. There is a wide blue-gray band on the nape of the neck. The back and the wing coverts are siena in color , which becomes more yellowish on the rump and on the upper tail coverts . The wings are blackish with gold-green edges. The inner arm wings are olive yellow, the control springs black. The chest is dark orange-yellow and the lower body is dark blue-gray. The main difference between the females and the males is the different color of their breasts: their breasts are blue-gray instead of dark orange-yellow.
distribution and habitat
Great tit trildes only occur in a small area compared to other fine finch species. Their distribution area extends from the island of Bioko off the coast of Cameroon along the Cross River to the high mountain ranges of Cameroon and the Gashaka-Gumti National Park in eastern Nigeria . They are common birds in the mountains of Nigeria and can be found at altitudes of up to 2,100 meters. The nominate form is restricted to the island of Bioko and the Cameroon Mountain. They are common there, but the titmouse is often overlooked because of its inconspicuous appearance. The subspecies Nesocharus shelleyi bansoensis occurs in the Manenguba Mountains and in the Bamenda-Banso Highlands .
Way of life
Great tit trildes occur in pairs and in small schools mainly in the mountain forest. The altitude distribution extends up to 2,100 meters on the south side of the Cameroon Mountain. On Bioko it occurs in lower altitudes than on the African mainland and also occurs in plantations.
The titmouse does not build itself, but uses old nests of other bird species such as the black-bellied weaver and the golden-winged nectar bird . The clutch usually consists of three white-shelled eggs. The breeding season begins after the end of the rainy season, so that the Great Tit trildes on the Cameroon Mountain breed between November and February, for example. The diet consists of insects and small seeds.
attitude
The first specimens of titmouse were probably introduced in Europe in 1929. The next secured import is only available for 2001. According to the care reports, Meisenastrilde only accepted mealworms and only occasionally also ant pupae as food, but they proved to be trusting and lively.
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
Web links
- Titmouse on AVIBASE
- BirdLife factsheet for Meisenastrild
- Nesocharis shelleyi inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2013.