Wellenastrild
| Wellenastrild | ||||||||||||
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Wavy astrild ( Estrilda astrild ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Estrilda astrild | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
The wave astrild ( Estrilda astrild ) is a songbird from the finch family . The species inhabits large parts of sub-Saharan Africa . Fifteen to seventeen subspecies are usually distinguished for the species. However, in some cases these differ only slightly and in many cases they are difficult to distinguish from one another. Often the geographic variation of the species takes the form of a not clearly stepped kline with numerous transitional forms.
According to the IUCN, the waverell is considered common and not endangered.
features
The 11 to 13 cm long coral reef has a wingspan of 12 to 14 cm and a weight of 7 to 10 g. The gray-brown plumage has fine, wavy bands. Throat and stomach are paler. Depending on the subspecies, there can also be a washed-out pink to bright red stripe on the belly. The face shows a broad, scarlet eye streak. The conical beak is colored sealing wax- red (from which the English name Common Waxbill is derived). The beak of young birds is blackish.
distribution
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Wavy trildes are common in southern and tropical Africa from the Cape to Sierra Leone , Guinea , Ghana , Cameroon , Sudan and in the highlands of Ethiopia . They are absent in northern Namibia and Somalia, as well as in the closed low-lying rainforest of the Congo area. They also occur naturally on the islands of Bioko , Zanzibar and Mafia . The settlement density is often very high. In South Africa there are 125 pairs per square kilometer in rural regions and around ten breeding pairs per square kilometer in suburbs. In the acacia savannah of Swaziland , the population is around 230 birds per 100 hectares.
The bird was introduced in the following areas: St. Helena , Ascension , Mauritius , Réunion , Tahiti , the Seychelles , Hawaii and parts of Brazil . The wave astrilde found on the Cape Verde islands are said to be descendants of birds that escaped from an animal transport coming from Angola around 1865. In Europe, the bird has been breeding in Spain and Portugal since 1964 . The population there was estimated at 20,000 to 200,000 individuals for 1998. It is also found on the islands of Madeira , Gran Canaria and the Azores .
The Wellenastrild inhabits open savannas, bush landscapes, fields and swamps. In drier areas it often occurs near water. In the wooded parts of its distribution area it also populates grassy clearings. It can often be found in cultivated land, in gardens, on fields, in sugar cane plantations and on mown meadows for foraging.
Way of life
Outside of the breeding season, wavelike tribes live very gregariously and occur in schools of more than 100 individuals. In the evening they fall into reeds and papyrus stocks or into thick bushes to spend the night there. Their sleeping places are noticeable, among other things, by their noises and the restless flying of the birds. In the morning they leave these sleeping places very quickly just before dawn. Occasionally they are also associated with other fine finches. They have already been observed together with Grünastrilden , orange cheeks , Cappenastrilden , bronze males and Swampastrilden as well as bridle trunks and golden breasts . The large swarms break up with the start of the breeding season.
The coral reef feed almost exclusively on grass seeds, but insects supplement the diet. The bird often sits on blades of grass to get to the seeds. But he also looks for food on the ground. Are detected as food crops including several types of Panicum , Sporobulus inductus , Urochloa masambicensis , kinds of finger millet , Setaria , eragrostis , echinochloa and Hyparrhenia . The singing of the waves is soft and inconspicuous.
Reproduction
The wavelike breeds in the rainy season when there are enough insects for the offspring. The courtship resembles that of the closely related Grauastrild . Like the latter, he shows a halo in which the male carries a blade of grass or, alternatively, a feather in his beak and dances in front of the female while reciting his song verses. The female also shows this halmbalz, but without singing. He builds a small spherical nest with a tubular side entrance out of intertwined stalks. It lies in a tuft of grass or in a bush close to the ground. Very often, in some areas even regularly, there is a second, semi-vaulted nest, a so-called cock's nest, on the roof of the nest . The female lays four to five white eggs, which are incubated for around two weeks. Both parent birds are involved in the brood and later also feed and herd the young birds. The young birds fledge at around three weeks.
The Wellenastrild is also host to the brut parasitic Dominican widow and the purple atlas widow ( Vidua funerea ).
attitude
Wavy trildes have been kept as ornamental birds in Europe for a long time and were already on the market in the second half of the 18th century. The ornithologist Vieillot reported in detail at the beginning of the 19th century on how this species was kept. In Germany, the first wavelike tears came on the market in the middle of the 19th century. They have been introduced regularly in various subspecies since the 1870s. Due to their attractive plumage and their lively nature, they were at times one of the most popular and most frequently introduced species of finches. Together with the Senegalese amaranth, they are considered to be the easiest African finches to care for. However, breeding this species requires some experience.
supporting documents
literature
- Colin Harrison, Alan Greensmith: Birds: with more than 800 species . Dorling Kindersly Limited, Starnberg 2005, ISBN 978-3-8310-0785-1
- Jürgen Nicolai (Hrsg.), Joachim Steinbacher (Hrsg.), 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
- Bryan Richard: Birds: over 400 species from around the world . Parragon, Bath 2006, ISBN 978-1-4054-5506-0
- Stevenson, Fanshawe: Princeton Field Guides - Birds of East Africa . Princeton and Oxford, 2002 ISBN 0-691-12665-8
Web links
- French website
- Estrilda astrild in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2008. Posted by: BirdLife International, 2004. Retrieved on January 4 of 2009.
- Videos, photos and sound recordings for Estrilda astrild in the Internet Bird Collection