From Opus

Lagonosticta rara

[edit] Identification

13-15cm. Male - deep scarlet head, neck, chin, throat and upper flanks, black mantle, black wings, back and tail, dark iris, upper mandible black, lower mandible mainly pink, red or whitish from the base, remainder black, slate grey to blackish legs and feet.
Female - dark wine-red loral stripe from the bill to eye, brownish grey throat, dark brown-grey head, nape and hind neck, brown mantle and back washed with dull wine-red, wine-red rump and upper tail coverts, olive wings, brown tail, light, pinkish carmine breast and flanks, buff lower breast and belly, becoming dull black on the ventral area and under tail coverts.
Juveniles - dull brown, paler on the bellies, buffish on the under tail coverts, dull carmine upper tail coverts.

L. r. forbesi - brighter, warm, rich crimson plumage, wing coverts and inner secondaries widely edged with red on the back, deeper black underparts; female - dark greyish, not buff, belly, more red on back, brighter red rump and upper tail coverts.

[edit] Distribution

Africa

[edit] Taxonomy

There are 2 subspecies

• L. r. rara - northern Cameroon, Central African Republic, northern Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), southern Sudan, northern Uganda and western Kenya.
• L. r. forbesi - Sierra Leone, southern Guinea east to Ghana, central and northern Nigeria.

[edit] Habitat

Savanna grasslands, wooded and bushed areas, cultivated areas and farmland at 750-1750 m.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Diet

The diet includes small seeds, insects, particularly worker and winged termites.

[edit] Breeding

It builds a spherical nest, from grass seed-heads, rootlets or other vegetable fibres, lined with feathers. 3-4 eggs are laid and are incubated by both parents. The young are fed primarily insects.

[edit] External Links