The cut-throat finch (''Amadina fasciata'') is a common species of
estrildid finch
Estrildidae, or estrildid finches, is a family of small seed-eating passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They comprise species commonly known as munias, mannikins, firefinches, parrotfinches and waxbills. Despite the word "fi ...
found throughout Africa; it is also known as the bearded finch, the ribbon finch, the cut throat, and the weaver finch.
The cut-throat finch has plumage that is pale, sandy brown with flecks of black all over. They have a black-brown tail, a thick white chin and cheeks, and a chestnut brown patch on the belly. The legs are a pink fleshy colour. The adult male has a bright red band across its throat (thus the name "cut throat"), while the male juveniles have a slightly duller red band.
It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 3,300,000 km
2. It is found throughout much of
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
, particularly in the
Sahel
The Sahel (; ar, ساحل ' , "coast, shore") is a region in North Africa. It is defined as the ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transition between the Sahara to the north and the Sudanian savanna to the south. Having a hot semi-arid c ...
, eastern and southern parts of the continent.
Reproduction
Cut-throat finches usually use nests constructed by other birds . A
clutch
A clutch is a mechanical device that engages and disengages power transmission, especially from a drive shaft to a driven shaft. In the simplest application, clutches connect and disconnect two rotating shafts (drive shafts or line shafts). ...
usually consists of 3 to 6 white eggs, which hatch after an incubation period of 12 days.
Origin
Origin and
phylogeny
A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spec ...
has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena ''et al.''
Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter (towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats). Its closest relative is the
red-headed finch
The red-headed finch (''Amadina erythrocephala'') (also known as the paradise finch) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,600,000 km2. It is found in Angola, Botswana, ...
.
Gallery
Image:Cut-throat Finch RWD7.jpg, Pair
Image:Cut-throat Finch male RWD9.jpg, Male
References
External links
* Cut-throat finch
Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds
cut-throat finch
Birds of the Sahel
Birds of East Africa
cut-throat finch
cut-throat finch
{{Estrildidae-stub