Red-backed easel tail
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Red-backed easeltail ( Malurus melanocephalus ) |
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| Malurus melanocephalus | ||||||||||||
| ( Latham , 1802) |
The red-backed easeltail ( Malurus melanocephalus ) is an Australian songbird .
features
The red-backed relay tail reaches a total length of 13 cm and a weight of up to 10 g. The dominant male has predominantly black plumage with orange or carmine red areas on the shoulders, back and rump. Females and males that do not mate have sand-colored feathers, while the males can also have red feathers.
Occurrence
The distribution area includes northern and eastern Australia. The red-backed easeltail is an inhabitant of tropical and subtropical savannahs with isolated trees, light forests and also swamp regions . Depending on the food supply, the bird moves from one area to another or stays in the location.
behavior
The bird lives in small flocks and looks for seeds, insects and other invertebrates on the ground.
Reproduction
During the mating season, the males court a female with fluffed plumage. This lays about three eggs in a dome-shaped nest made of grass, which is built in grass clusters or bushes. The eggs are incubated for 13 to 14 days and the nestling period lasts for 10 to 11 days.
literature
- Colin Harrison & Alan Greensmith: Birds. Dorling Kindersly Limited, London 1993, 2000, ISBN 3-8310-0785-3 .
- Bryan Richard: Birds. Parragon, Bath 2006, ISBN 1-4054-5506-3 .
Web links
- Some photos ( page no longer available , search in web archives )
- English website
- Videos, photos and sound recordings on Malurus melanocephalus in the Internet Bird Collection
- Malurus melanocephalus inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Endangered Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2014.