African quailfinch

African quailfinch
O. a. fuscocrissa, male, at Suikerbosrand, South Africa
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Estrildidae
Genus:	Ortygospiza
Species:	O. atricollis
Subspecies:	O. a. fuscocrissa
Trinomial name
Ortygospiza atricollis fuscocrissa (Heuglin, 1863)

The African quailfinch, spectacled quailfinch, or white-chinned quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis fuscocrissa), is a common species of estrildid finch found in eastern and southern Africa. Some taxonomists consider it to be conspecific with the black-faced quailfinch and the black-chinned quailfinch, others consider all three species to be conspecific.

Description

The African quailfinch is 10 centimeters (4 inches) in length and weighs 9-14 grams (0.3-0.5 ounces). It is small and compact with dark grey underparts, barred breasts and flanks, and an orange-buff central belly. The feathers around its eye and on its chin are white. Breeding males have a red bill, while the bills of females and non-breeding males have a brown upper mandible and a red lower mandible. The female is paler than the male and has less distinctive barring.

Voice

It calls a tinny "chink-chink" when in flight.

Distribution and ecology

The African quailfinch is found in East and southern Africa. It inhabits grassland and weedy areas, especially near water. It eats seeds, filamentous algae, insects, and spiders.

Geographical variation

When considered a full species, the following geographical variation has been accepted:

• O. f. fuscocrissa – Eritrea and Ethiopia
• O. f. muelleri – Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Angola, Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe
• O. f. smithersi – Zambia
• O. f. pallida – Botswana and Zimbabwe
• O. f. digressa – Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and South Africa

Gallery

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  male
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  female skin
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  nest

References

• Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2012. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.7. Downloaded from [1]

External links

• Quail Finch/Black-faced quailfinch - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds.