Masked Finch
Maskenamadine ( Poephila personata )
The Maskenamadine ( Poephila personata ) is a species of the family of finches. You heard about all types of their species of grass finches for Australian fauna and get there before in the northwest of the continent. To the south, their range extends up to the 19th degree of latitude.
Description
Maskenamadinen reach a body length up to 14 inches and are thus among the most finch species. What is striking is their bright yellow beak clearly stands out from the small black face mask. The plumage on the chest, abdomen, neck, and upper wing cover is a bright ocher. The tail feathers are black and white. Males and females have the same plumage. They are most clearly to be distinguished by their vocalizations. The song of the male is a plaintive, flötendes chirping.
Dissemination and lifestyle
The distribution of Maskenamadine is the northern Australia from the far north of Western Australia to Cape York Peninsula. They settle here dry steppe landscapes and prefer doing eucalyptus forests near water points, which simultaneously have a dense understory of various shrubs and interspersed with open grassy areas. Unlike the belt grass finch and the Spitzschwanzamadine the Maskenamadine is a slightly stronger culture follower. It also occurs in the few settlements of northern Australia. The main food are half-ripe and ripe seeds of various steppe grasses. Search for food to keep Maskenamadinen mainly on the ground. They spend their breaks in tall, shady trees.
Maskenamadinen are buccaneers who build a nest ball in the bushes. Use this plant fibers, grasses and moss. The female lays four to six eggs. Incubation period is 13-14 days.
Maskenamadinen are very social birds that breed most comfortable with conspecifics in loose colonies.