Red-winged Pytilia
The Auroraastrild ( Pytilia phoenicoptera ), also Aurora Astrild written, is an African species of the family of finches. There are two subspecies. The Auroraastrild is one of the pet birds occasionally held.
Description
The 12 to 13 centimeters long Auroraastrild is a splendor Fink, whose plumage is mostly gray. On the elytra a little red place males and females are very similar. However, females have slightly less red on the wing covers and a less pronounced striations on the bottom. While females sing rarely, the male sings mainly fluting. During mating calls it a long-drawn thaaar.
The nest consists mainly of four eggs, which are incubated by both parents alternately birds for 14 days. The young birds stay 18 to 22 days in the nest and then another two to three weeks supervised by parents birds.
Area of distribution and habitat
The Auroraastrild occurs only in a narrow strip that stretches from West Africa almost to East Africa. The nominate Pytilia phoenicoptera phoenicoptera come here before in the western part of the distribution area, which extends from northern Nigeria over Senegal and Gambia. For distribution area also includes Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mali, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo and Benin. It is a common species in the W National Park and in Yankari National Park. The distribution area of Pytilia phoenicoptera emini joins in northern Cameroon and occurs across the Central African Republic and South Sudan, where it is represented relatively sparse to the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is particularly frequently observed there in the Garamba National Park. In Uganda, it is very often observed in Kidepo Valley National Park and Murchison Falls National Park.
Its habitat is the dry bush savannah and steppe. The Auroraastrild lives there hidden among bushes, tall herbs and grasses. It also occurs in the vicinity of villages. Its food is seeds of grasses and millets. In addition, he also eats the seeds of composite plants very much. Animal food plays only a minor role in his diet. He eats, among other termites and other, similar-sized insects.
Attitude
The Auroraastrild was imported for the first time in 1870 by Carl Hagenbeck in Germany. The present affirmed in Germany succeeded a little later. Since 1953, the Auroraastrild is offered regularly in the trade. They are considered very quiet and peaceful birds that only in the immediate vicinity of the nest are aggressive during the breeding season.
Among all the Streifenastrilden Auroraastrild is considered the easiest way nachzuzüchtende, however, this is not necessarily reflected in the offspring numbers resist. In the Most commercial birds are captive bred.