Spermestes fringilloides

(Lafresnaye, 1835)

Vernacular names
English : Magpie mannikin
French : Capucin pie

Classification
Class : Aves
Order : Passeriformes
Family : Estrildidae
Notes : No subspecies known

Identification
Large silvery and black conical bill. Head and nape black, breast and belly white with black flanks. Wings and back dark brown. Bright chestnut-brown markings on flanks under the wing.

Range and habitat
Species found very patchily in sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia, south to Angola and northeast South Africa. Occurs in gallery forests, grassy areas near rivers, rice fields.

Conservation
IUCN RED LIST : LEAST CONCERN
CITES : Not Listed
Status : The species has a very patchy range and each population appears to be small. Caught sometimes in large numbers for the trade. Seems to be fairly nomadic, according seeding patterns.
Ex-Situ Programs : None known

Observation

 

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