Red Fody

Showing two "typical" red males and a single yellow morph male
Photo by iainhawk
Mahe, the Seychelles, February 2006

Foudia madagascariensis

Identification

13 cm (5 in)
Breeding Male:

• Crimson head and breast
• Black lores
• Black central streaks on mantle
• Blackish upper wings and tail
• Conical black bill
• Brown iris
• Males also occur in a yellow morph.
  

Female
Photo by James Williams
Tsiribina River, Western Madagascar, June 2007

Female

• Greenish-brown forehead, front and top of head
• Black streaks on nape
• Greenish-brown cheeks, lores, chin and throat
• Greenish-yellow supercilium
• Pale brown bill
• Brown iris
  

Immature and non breeding males are similar to females

Distribution

Madagascar with several smaller islands.

They have been introduced to many Indian ocean islands, such as the Seychelles.

Taxonomy

Immature
Photo by James Williams
Antananarivo, Madagascar, June 2007

This is a monotypic species^[1].

Subspecies bruante is not recognised by most authorities^[2]

Habitat

They can be found in town gardens, spiny forests, open country and savanna.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet consists mostly of seeds, but they also include nectar and arthropods.

Breeding

Photo by geschott
Mauritius, November 2004

The oval nest is made from strips of grass woven together by the male. The entrance is near the top. It is attached to reeds, tall grass shrubs or trees. The clutch consists of 2-4 pale bluish-green eggs which are incubated by the female. The chicks are fed by both adults.

References

1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2015. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2015, with updates to August 2015. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
2. Avibase
3. Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved June 2016)
4. Weaver Research Unit
5. BF Member observations

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Red Fody. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 19 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Red_Fody

External Links

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