Purple mask bearded bird
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Purple mask bearded bird ( Lybius guifsobalito ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||
| Lybius guifsobalito | ||||||||||
| Hermann , 1783 |
The purple mask bearded bird ( Lybius guifsobalito ) is a species from the African bearded bird family . The species occurs almost exclusively north of the equator. Due to the relatively northern distribution, the first description was made in 1783 by the French doctor and zoologist Hermann . The purple mask bearded bird is one of the oldest scientifically described bearded birds .
No subspecies are distinguished for the purple mask bearded bird. The IUCN classifies the purple mask bearded bird as not endangered ( least concern ). The purple mask bearded bird is closely related to the collar bearded bird and the similar-looking red-faced bearded bird that occurs further south of Africa.
Appearance
The males reach a wing length of 7.9 to 9.4 centimeters. The tail length is between 4.5 and 5.4 centimeters. The beak reaches a length between 1.9 and 2.2 centimeters. Females have similar body measurements. As is typical for tooth-bearded birds , there is no noticeable sexual dimorphism .
Males and females are shiny blue-black, the wings and the belly are a little more brownish. They also have a bright red, in some individuals also red-orange and very rarely yellow face and equally colored ear covers, forehead, chin and throat. The wings are narrowly lined with yellow to white on the outer flags. The beak is black, the featherless skin of the face is gray, the eyes are reddish brown. The legs and feet are black-gray. Young birds have a duller plumage than the adult ones, it looks a bit brownish overall.
Distribution area
The distribution area of the purple mask bearded bird stretches from the east of Sudan , the north of Eritrea and the west of Ethiopia in a southerly direction to the north-east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Uganda and Kenya . There is evidence that this species is expanding its range. It has also been observed in northern Tanzania and northern Cameroon in recent years . Purple mask bearded birds occur at altitudes between 900 and 2,200 meters above sea level. The species is common regionally.
Way of life
The purple mask bearded bird is an adaptable species that populates open forest areas, cultivated land with a loose population of fruit-bearing trees, forest edges and gardens. Their diet consists mainly of fruits such as figs, guavas, papaya and various berries. They also eat insects like beetles, ants, and termites. The squads consist of up to seven individuals. It is likely that these are parent birds with sexually mature but not yet mated offspring. The flocks defend the tree in which they have their nest hole against other bird species. They show aggressive behavior towards the small honey indicator , which indicates that this species is a breeding parasite of the purple mask bearded bird. Almost nothing is known about the reproductive biology of this species.
supporting documents
literature
- Lester L. Short, Jennifer FM Horne: Toucans, Barbets and Honeyguides - Ramphastidae, Capitonidae and Indicatoridae. Oxford University Press, Oxford 2001, ISBN 0-19-854666-1 .
Individual evidence
Web link
- Lybius guifsobalito inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved January 30, 2014.