Africa Wild Bird Book

[Dewi]

829. White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus (Witvlerkflap)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Ploceidae

White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus.jpg (71.91 KiB) Viewed 1006 times

Description
Length 15 cm. It is a small widowbird with a fan-shaped tail.
Adult male breeding: Head and body black. Tail black, fairly long and fan-shaped. Primaries black, with white bases; secondaries black, with narrow buff edges and white bases. Lesser coverts golden yellow; median coverts black, edged buffy. Tertials, and primary and greater coverts black, with broad white margins. Covert markings form white and yellow epaulet on shoulder and, together with white bases of flight feathers, white patch in wing in flight. Bill dark blue-grey. Eyes brown. Legs and feet blackish brown.
In southern African birds the epaulet (shoulder patch) is yellow, while in East African birds it is cinnamon-rufous.
Transitional males vary with patchy black & brown through to all brown above, paler below but still show white on primaries.
Non-breeding male shows yellow shoulders and a white patch at the base of the primaries.
Females brown backed and pale below. Notably less streaked underparts than other female widowbirds. Females and non-breeding birds may be identified in flight by the longish tail, white and yellow/rufous wing patches, and white underwing.
Juvenile resembles female.
Similar species: Breeding male distinguished from Yellow-mantled Widowbird by its shorter tail, white in the wings, pale bill, and lack of yellow on th back.

Distribution
Northeast of the sub-region. Although it has localised populations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Angola, it mainly occurs from Tanzania, Zambia and Malawi to southern Africa. Here it is fairly common in Zimbabwe, Mozambique and north-eastern South Africa, extending into the Caprivi Strip (Namibia) and Botswana.



Taxonomy
Three subspecies are currently recognised:
E. a. albonotatus in eastern South Africa, north-east Botswana and Namibia, to southern Tanzania (intergrading with eques around Iringa and Dodoma).
E. a. asymmetrurus found patchily from western Angola to western Gabon, and Sao Tome. The tail of breeding males is much larger in this subspecies.
E. a. eques from southern Tanzania to southern Sudan and Ethiopia with isolated populations in western Sudan and Central African Republic. Breeding males have cinnamon-brown (not yellow) epaulets, and females and sub-adult males have the lesser coverts edged with cinnamon.

Habitat
Savanna. It generally prefers habitats with rank vegetation and water, such as moist grassland and marshes, but also in disturbed areas and cultivated land.

Diet
Mainly grass seeds, also insects and aloe nectar.

Breeding
Territorial solitary nester. This species is polygynous, as one male may mate with up to 4 females in a breeding season, defending his territory against other males as well as other widowbird and bishop species. The nest is an oval-shaped structure with a large side-top entrance, built of dry grass and lined by the female with finer grass. It is typically placed about 0.3-1.3 m above ground in dense grass, which is incorporated into the roof of the nest. The male builds the nest frame of dry and semi-green grass, supported by upright grass stems. The female adds a stouter weaving of finer dry grass, usually Sporobolus, inside the frame. Some nests have a small porch of projecting grassheads. Eggs may be laid before the nest is lined. Egg-laying season is from October-May, peaking from December-March. It lays 2-4 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 12-14 days. The chicks are only fed by the female, leaving the nest after about 11-14 days and becoming independent about 22-25 days later.
Occasionally parasitised by Diderick Cuckoo.

Call
Sings from an elevated perch: squee-squi-squeege. Also a rustling shwrrr.

Status
Common resident in suitable habitat.

[Dewi]

829. White-winged Widowbird Euplectes albonotatus

© Dewi
Transitional Male, Pretoriuskop, Kruger National Park

© Super Mongoose
Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve, North West Province, South Africa

© steamtrainfan
Garden in Pretoria

© Sharifa
Breeding Male

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park H7, Feb 2020

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park H7, Feb 2020

© Super Mongoose
Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve, North West Province, South Africa

© Super Mongoose
Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve, North West Province, South Africa

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/species_info.p ... #menu_left
Weaver Wednesday: White-winged Widowbird

[Dindingwe]

830. Yellow-mantled Widowbird Euplectes macroura (Geelrugflap)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Ploceidae

Yellow-mantled Widowbird Euplectes macroura.jpg (27.53 KiB) Viewed 991 times

Description
Male 20cm, Female 14cm, 22g
Breeding male has a longer tail than Yellow Bishop breeding male, with yellow on upper back (not rump). Longer tailed than White-winged Widowbird and lacks any white in flight feathers. Bill is black tipped blue-grey. Non-breeding male is like the female but retains yellow epaulettes and blackish wings. Bill is brown. Female flight feathers are brown, and eyebrow yellowish not whitish as in male. Bill is brown. Juvenile is like female but underparts are often washed yellow.

Distribution
It is widely distributed in Africa, and is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.



Habitat
Moist grassland and marshy areas, such as rank vegetation along the edges of cultivated fields.

Diet
Seeds (especially of sedges) taken from the ground, supplemented with arthropods such as termite alates, hawking them aerially from a perch.

Breeding
Polygynous solitary nester, as males may mate with up to about 5 females in a breeding season, vigorously defending his territory containing multiple nests against other males and Euplectes species. The male can build up to about 27 nests in a breeding season, which consist of an oval-shaped structure with a side-top entrance, made of woven grass and lined by the female with grass inflorescences. It is typically placed in a dense clump of grass on moist ground, the living leaves of which are often incorporated into the nest. Egg-laying season is from December-March, peaking around January. It lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 12-14 days (recorded in captivity). The chicks are fed and brooded by the female only, leaving the nest after roughly 15 days (also recorded in captivity).

Call
Song while perched is a buzzing or sizzling zeeee. Whistling calls given in flight.

Status
Locally common resident, gregarious and sedentary, with local movements recorded in non-breeding season. IUCN status - not threatened.

[Dindingwe]

830. Yellow-mantled Widowbird Euplectes macroura

© Dindingwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

© Dindingwe
Harare, Zimbabwe

Links:
http://www.biodiversityexplorer.org/bir ... rourus.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-mantled_widowbird

[Flutterby]

831. Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens (Rooikeelflap)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Ploceidae

Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens.jpg (53.73 KiB) Viewed 1008 times

Description
Breeding male is the only widowbird in the region with a red collar across the upper breast (in the nominate race ardens).
Adult male breeding: Mainly black, except for narrow red crescent or collar across upper breast. Rarely this may be orange, yellow, or even absent. Tail very long, outer rectrices longest. Wing feathers narrowly edged pale brown. Undertail coverts edged white. Bill black. Eyes brown. Legs and feet blackish.
Adult male non-breeding: Supercilium buffy, prominent; darker brown stripe behind eye. Upper parts brown, feathers with black central streaks. Tail dark brown, with paler edges to feathers; short. Retains black flight feathers; underwing coverts dark grey. Throat whitish. Breast buffy, unstreaked; belly whitish. Undertail coverts brown, edged white. Bill brown.
Females are dull coloured, with a yellowish eye-stripe and yellowish or buffy breast sharply demarcated from the white belly.
Non-breeding male is similar to female but upperparts streaked black and retains black flight feathers. Non breeding males, however, retain their black tails, while females and subadults' tails are dark-brown.
Juveniles are like the females.

Distribution
The Red-collared Widowbird is widespread in patches across sub-Saharan Africa, from Guinea to Ethiopia south to southern Africa. Here it is locally common in the eastern half of South Africa and Zimbabwe extending into Mozambique.

Habitat
Tall grassland, savanna, scrub and cultivated areas.

Diet
The Red-collared Widowbird feeds on seeds, insects including termites, nectar. It forages on the ground, often in flocks.

Breeding
Polygynous solitary nester, as successful males may mate with up to about 2-3 females in a breeding season, defending their territory against most other Euplectes species except Long-tailed Widowbird and Yellow Bishop. The nest is built solely by the male, consisting of an oval-shaped structure with a side entrance, woven using fine grass leaves and stems and lined by the female with grass inflorescences and seed heads. It is typically placed in a shrub, bush or tuft of grass, the leaves of which are often incorporated into the nest roof. Egg-laying season is from October-April, peaking from November-February. The eggs are grey or blue-green and heavily speckled with brown, often forming ring near the thick end. It lays 2-6 eggs, which are incubated solely by the female for about 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by the female only, leaving the nest after about 14-17 days.

Call
Male gives soft husky hizz zizz zizz, also rapid screep-screep. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

[Flutterby]

831. Red-collared Widowbird Euplectes ardens


Breeding male


Rietvlei Nature Reserve, Gauteng

Links:
Species text Sabap1
Sabap2
Weaver Watch

[Flutterby]

832. Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne (Langstertflap)
Order: Passeriformes. Family: Ploceidae

Long-tailed Widowbirdns.jpg (39.26 KiB) Viewed 1011 times

Description
The largest widowbird of the region. Breeding male is very conspicuous when in flight with its long heavy tail (40 cm) and black plumage with the bright orange-red shoulder bordered by a whitish or buffy stripe.
Females have a rather subdued coloration. The upper portion of the female’s body is streaked with buff or tawny and black. Female chests, breasts and flanks are slightly paler than their above coloring. The area under the wing-covets is black and the females’ tail feathers are narrow and pointed. Their bills are horn-colored.
Non-breeding males are slightly larger than females, though they demonstrate a remarkably similar appearance. For the most part, these males are colored in the same manner as the females, except in that they are more broadly streaked above and below and have wings and wing shoulders with the morphology of the breeding class of males. Rarely, males in the non-breeding class have elongated brownish black tail feathers, though these feathers are substantially shorter than those of the breeding class, some retain red and white shoulders.
Juvenile is like the female but with broad buffy edges to upperpart feathers.

Distribution
It has three isolated populations; one in Kenya, another extending from Angola to Zambia and southern DRC and the other in southern Africa. Here it is locally common in the eastern half of South Africa and in Lesotho, marginally extending into south-eastern Botswana.



Habitat
Mainly open grassland, breeding in tall grasses along watercourses or in marshy areas, but it may occur in grassy karoo or savanna at the extremity of its distribution.

Diet
It mainly eats seeds, supplemented with arthropods, doing most of its foraging in flocks on the ground but occasionally hawking insects aerially.

Breeding
Polygynous, solitary nester, as a single males may mate with up to about 5 females in one breeding season. The nest can be built by either the male or female, consisting of a thick-walled, vertical-oriented oval structure with a side-top entrance, made of woven fine grass and lined by the female with flowering grass heads. It is typically placed low down in a tuft of grass, the leaves of which are incorporated into the nest, usually just above damp ground or shallow water. Egg-laying season is from October-June, peaking from November-February. It lays 1-4 eggs at one day intervals, which are incubated solely by the female for about 12-14 days. These eggs are pale bluish green and streaked with brown. The chicks are fed and brooded by the female only, leaving the nest after about 17 days to hide in the grass since they cannot fly strongly, remaining dependent on their mother for food for about 2 weeks more.

Call
Song in flight twi-twi-twi-twi-zizizizi; also loud swizzling and twittering sounds. Listen to Bird Call.

Status
Common resident.

[Flutterby]

832. Long-tailed Widowbird Euplectes progne





© Moggiedog

© Amoli
Male

© Dewi
Transitional male

© Amoli
Non-breeding male, Marievale, Gauteng

© Amoli

© Sharifa

© Amoli

Links:
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/docs/sabap1/832.pdf
http://sabap2.adu.org.za/species_info.p ... #menu_left
Rael Loon, Hélène Loon. Sasol Birds: The Inside Story: Flights of Fancy
Weaver Watch

[Toko]

The estrildid finches (32 genera, 134 species, 314 taxa) are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. The family’s members include mannikins, twinspots, firefinches, waxbills and pytilias. They occur in open grassland and marshy areas to open woodland and rainforest.
They are gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. short rounded wings and short legs, some species with plumage dull brown or grey, many brightly coloured and boldly patterned. They are all similar in structure and habits, but vary widely in plumage colours and patterns.
All the estrildids build large, domed nests and lay 5–10 white eggs. Many species build roost nests. Some of the fire-finches and pytilias are hosts to the brood-parasitic indigobirds and whydahs, respectively

[Toko]

Family Estrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
Pytilia afra Orange-winged Pytilia 833
Pytilia melba Green-winged Pytilia 834
Amadina erythrocephala Red-headed Finch 856
Amadina fasciata Cut-throat Finch 855
Mandingoa nitidula Green Twinspot 835
Cryptospiza reichenovii Red-faced Crimsonwing 836
Pyrenestes minor Lesser Seedcracker 837
Hypargos margaritatus Pink-throated Twinspot 838
Hypargos niveoguttatus Red-throated Twinspot 839
Lagonosticta nitidula Brown Firefinch 843
Lagonosticta senegala Red-billed Firefinch 842
Lagonosticta rubricata African Firefinch 840
Lagonosticta rhodopareia Jameson's Firefinch 841
Uraeginthus angolensis Blue Waxbill 844
Granatina granatina Violet-eared Waxbill 845
Coccopygia quartinia Yellow-bellied Waxbill 851
Coccopygia melanotis Swee Waxbill 850
Glaucestrilda perreini Grey Waxbill 848
Glaucestrilda thomensis Cinderella Waxbill 849
Estrilda astrild Common Waxbill 846
Brunhilda erythronotos Black-faced Waxbill 847
Amandava subflava Orange-breasted Waxbill 854
Ortygospiza atricollis Quailfinch 852
Paludipasser locustella Locust Finch 853
Spermestes cucullata Bronze Mannikin 857
Spermestes nigriceps Red-backed Mannikin 858
Spermestes fringilloides Magpie Mannikin 859