Lesser Seedcracker
The Little Purpurastrild ( Pyrenestes minor), also known as Granatastrild, is an African species of the family of finches. There are no subspecies described for this species.
Description
Similar to the Purpurastrild large and kleinschnäbelige species live close to each other even when little Purpurastrild. When closely related Purpurastrild has proven by means of experimental crossings that the polymorphism is located on a gene locus and that the allele for Großschnäbeligkeit is inherited dominantly.
The Little Purpurastrild reaches a body length of fourteen centimeters and thus does not differ in size from Purpurastrild. In the male forehead and anterior crown as well as the eye area and the sides of the head to the ear area, the throat, the crop area and the upper chest are scarlet. Also, the upper tail-coverts and middle tail feathers and the Außensäume the remaining tail feathers are red. The rest of the body is earth brown. The beak is black and the eyes are brown.
In the female, only the forehead, the front crown, the eye area as well as the front bolster sides and upper throat are red. The rest of the body is like earth brown in the male.
Circulation area and way of life
The distribution area of the Little Purpurastrilds is the southern East Africa. It inhabits forest edges and there are dense bushes along water courses. In Tanzania, it also comes along irrigation systems and in Mozambique in weed thickets near rice fields in the lowlands. He is usually seen in pairs.
The distribution area varies depending on the area of distribution. The breeding season falls in the rainy season.
Attitude
The Little Purpurastrild were occasionally introduced in the 1960s in small numbers. However, like all Purpurastrilde are newly imported birds very vulnerable and there attitude descriptions are missing, probably all birds have died during the acclimatization phase.