Orange-breasted Waxbill
Goldbrüstchen ( Amandava subflava )
The Goldbrüstchen ( Amandava subflava ) is an African species of the family of finches. They colonized large parts of sub-Saharan Africa and inhabits savannas, grassland or reed beds near water. There have been described several subspecies.
Description
Goldbrüstchen are about nine to ten centimeters wide and finches are among the African Finches the little ones. The name derives from the yellow to red-orange coloration of chest, abdomen and under tail-coverts for them.
The male has a black bridle. About The eye-streak, the rear rump and upper tail-coverts are red. The top of the head, neck, back and wings are greenish gray. The tail is black, with the two outermost tail feathers are lined with variable white. The body sides are dull yellow striated. The under tail-coverts are orange-yellow, the rest of the underparts golden yellow to lemon yellow fill. The beak is red with a black ridge.
The females are slightly dull colored than the males and lack the red eyebrow stripe. The yellow on the underparts is much paler. The eyes of the female are reddish brown. The young birds are overall brownish. They do not have a red eyebrow stripe still red rump or on the upper tail-coverts.
Dissemination
Goldbrüstchen are Finches of Africa, colonizing the continent south of the Sahara widely. The range extends from Senegal on Guinea-Bissau and Liberia eastward through the West African States to Ethiopia and Yemen. To the south Goldbrüstchen occur to the eastern half of South Africa from southern Somalia and southern Kenya. Within this distribution area four subspecies are distinguished, which differ slightly in appearance.
Habitat and behavior
Similar to the Australian Binsenastrild the Goldbrüstchen lives in wetlands and reeds, papyrus and grass fringe along the various water types. It also occurs in montane mountain country in the dense vegetation of lowland forests or in Zimbabwe in Hyparrhenis Prairie. While foraging, it flies far into dry grassland or spent areas and fields. It has also opened up human settlement areas and is often found on the edge of villages. In Johannesburg it keeps close to where artificial or natural water bodies all covered with reeds or tall grass, also on the edge of town on. The altitudinal distribution of Goldbrüstchens ranges from plains to altitudes of 2,400 meters ( Ethiopia).
During the breeding season they live in pairs or in small family groups. Outside the breeding season it can be observed in small groups of up to twenty individuals, but it is occasionally larger flocks with other finches. They are very agile birds that are constantly in motion. Their diet consists mainly of small seeds and small insects. The song is a monotonous series of Ziep - calls that can be heard by the females and the young birds. In addition, it has a number of other calls.
The incubation period varies depending on the area of distribution and usually falls in the end of the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season. At least in the south of its range Goldbrüstchen establish itself no nests but use the abandoned nests of other bird species breeding. It is often the nests of Oryxwebern. But have also been proven the nest use of species as Cistensänger, Schildwida, Spiegelwida, Samtwida, flames Weber, red-billed weaver, Big Gold Weber and White-fronted weaver.
System
Because of similarities in plumage, nesting behavior and habitat requirements that Goldbrüstchen is ranked next to the Tigerastrild and the Olivastrild in the genus Amandava. Some authors, however, the kind found in the monotypic genus Sporaeginthus.
Goldbrüstchen are, like the tiger Fink, closely related to the Wachtelastrild. As evidence of the close relationship applies revenge drawing of the young birds, which consists of an eye-catching pattern of six points. Even the begging behavior of all three types is the same.
Attitude
There is no accurate documentation, since when Goldbrüstchen in Europe are kept as cage birds. Much like the zebra finches but they are among the most popular species among the finches. They are extremely durable and long lasting and an attitude of six to seven years is not uncommon. They also are considered very easy to breed.