From Opus

Photo by wim de groot
Location: The Gambia in Jan 2005

Estrilda troglodytes

[edit] Identification

• Grey plumage
• Pinkish-brown tint on head, wings and body
• Black rump
• Tail: black with white edge; underside off-white
• Pink patch near the vent
• Red eye stripe and bill.

Juveniles - dark beak and light brown body, hint of pink around vent, no cross barring or red eye stripe.

[edit] Distribution

It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 2,000,000 km² in Africa between 16°N and the equator.

It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guadeloupe (introduced), Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Portugal (introduced), Puerto Rico (introduced), Senegal, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Virgin Islands (introduced, possibly extinct).

[edit] Taxonomy

Monotypic.

[edit] Habitat

Dry steppes, brush alongside rivers, marshes, open country with thorn scrub, and bushes of open grasslands.

[edit] Status

Evaluated as Least Concern.

[edit] Behaviour

Three to six eggs are laid and are incubated for 11-12 days; the young fledge after 21 days.

[edit] References

1. Finch Information Center

[edit] External Links