Straw widow (species)
| Straw widow | ||||||||||||
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male |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Vidua fischeri | ||||||||||||
| Reichenow , 1882 |
The Strohwitwe ( Vidua fischeri ), also fishing widow called, is a kind from the family of viduidae . During the courtship season, the species shows a noticeable sexual dimorphism . In Europe the species is occasionally kept as an ornamental bird.
description
The females of the straw widow reach a body length of eleven centimeters. Males are slightly larger and have a body length of up to twelve centimeters. During the courtship season, when the males have their long tails, they are up to 31 centimeters long.
The males have a beige forehead and a beige skull in their splendid dress. The underside of the body and the long tips of the tail are also beige. The upper breast and the rest of the body plumage are black, with numerous feathers having light brown edges. The males resemble the females when they are resting. These are pinnate light brown and black brown all year round. Both have red bills and feet.
Way of life and distribution
Like all widow birds , the straw widow is a breeding parasite of the finches. The host bird is the violet tiger . Straw widows are polygamous birds. A straw widow male usually mates with three to six females.
The distribution area of the straw widow is the east of Africa and extends there from the south of Ethiopia and Somalia to Tanzania . Their habitat is savannah overgrown with thorn bushes.
literature
- Horst Bielfeld : Knowing and caring for 300 ornamental birds. Ulmer Verlag, Stuttgart 2009, ISBN 978-3-8001-5737-2 .
Web links
- Vidua fischeri inthe IUCN 2013 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2013.