From Opus

Estrilda melanotis

Alternative name(s): Coccopygia melanotis

Male Swee Waxbill
Photo by Alan Manson
Cavern Resort, KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg, South Africa

Female Swee Waxbill
Photo by Mybs
Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, South Africa

[edit] Identification

Length 9-10 cm, mass 8 g. Adult male: Black face and upper throat contrasts with grey crown and nape and white lower throat. Breast pale grey and belly pale buff. Bill black above and red below and eyes red. Adult female: Similar to the male, but has a pale grey face and white chin and throat. Juvenile: Similar to the female, but duller, with a black bill and dark brown eyes.

The common name is derived from the "swee-swee" flight- and contact-call.

[edit] Distribution

Southern and eastern South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland and extreme south-western Mozambique. There is an isolated population in Angola.

[edit] Taxonomy

Some authorities consider E. melanotis to be conspecific with Yellow-bellied Waxbill (E. quartinia). Others believe that Swee Waxbill should be split once more into E. melanotis from South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland; and E. bocagei from Angola. Yet others place the subspecies bocagei in Yellow-bellied Waxbill (E. quartinia).

This complex has recently been raised to genus status (Coccopygia) by some authorities.

Subspecies (Fry et al., 2004): E. m. melanotis from southern and eastern South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland; and E. m. bocagei from Angola.

[edit] Habitat

Forest and plantation edges, bushy vegetation, parks, gardens and farmyards.

[edit] Behaviour

Does not move long distances, other than local altitudinal migration in some populations. Forages in pairs or small groups on plants and on the ground for seeds and insects. Although fairly confiding, they are easily overlooked as they seldom venture far from dense cover.

Breeding: Monogamous and territorial. The nest is enclosed and oval with the entrance on the side and near the top. It is built by both sexes using grass. Three to nine eggs are laid in summer (October to April). Parasitised by Pin-tailed Whydah.

[edit] References

Fry H, Keith S, Woodcook M & Willis I. 2004. Birds of Africa Vol VII: Sparrows to Buntings. Princeton University Press. ISBN 0713665319

Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ & Ryan PG (eds) 2005. Robert's Birds of Southern Africa, 7th edition. John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town, South Africa. ISBN 0620340533

Lepage D. 2007. Avibase. Search for "Swee Waxbill" downloaded 2 December 2007.

[edit] External Links