Brown Twinspot

Brown Tropfenastrild ( Clytospiza monteiri )

The brown Tropfenastrild ( Clytospiza monteiri ), also called Monteiro Tropfenastrild, is a species in the family of finches and the only extant member of the genus Sternastrilde. A distinction is made for the way no subspecies.

Description

The brown Tropfenastrild reaches a body length of twelve inches. The males have a slate gray head and neck. On the gray throat they have an oblong spot, which extends from the chin to the crop area. The body bottom is light brown with dense white drops stains. The coverts are dark brown and weißquergebändert. The back and wings are brown, the upper tail-coverts are red. The tail is red, the outer tail feathers are tinged with red. The eyes are red to reddish brown. The lid margin is bluish. The beak is black and brightens blue on the beak to a base.

The females are similar to males. For them, merely the red throat patch in the male is white.

Dissemination and lifestyle

The brown Tropfenastrild comes in the humid savanna areas north and south in front of the central African lowland forest. Their habitat is moist, marbled bushes grasslands and thickets and grass clearings in forests. They have also opened up the human environment and are found in gardens and overgrown farmland. They live in pairs or in small family groups of up to ten individuals and usually stay close to the ground. The diet consists of grass seed and seeds. It is supplemented by insects and that mostly termites and spiders.

The incubation period varies depending on the location and falls at the end of the rain and the beginning of the dry season. Nests are not built by them usually. They use the abandoned nests of other birds, including those of Purpurastrilden, Kleinelsterchen and spur cuckoos. The nests are inside only lined with hairs, plant material and snake skins. Both parents birds breed.

Attitude

The brown Tropfenastrild was introduced by Carl Hagenbeck the first time either 1873 or 1880 in Europe. After this kind seems only again to have been imported in the late 1950s to Europe. It is imported frequently in recent years. So far, however, breeding success are still relatively rare. You need well planted aviary spacious interior for their well -being.