Reichenow's Firefinch

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Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Estrildidae
Genus:	Lagonosticta
Species:	L. umbrinodorsalis

Binomial name

Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis
Reichenow, 1910

Synonyms

Lagonosticta rhodopareia umbrinodorsalis
Lagonosticta bruneli
Lagonosticta rhodopareia bruneli

Reichenow's Firefinch or Chad Firefinch (Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis) is a small passerine bird belonging to the firefinch genus Lagonosticta in the estrildid finch family Estrildidae. It is restricted to a small area of Central Africa. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of Jameson's Firefinch (L. rhodopareia) but is now often treated as a separate species. It's name commemorates Anton Reichenow, the German ornithologist who described the species.

It is 10-11 centimetres long. The male is mostly bright pinkish-red, darker on the upperparts. The crown and nape are grey and the vent is dark. The thick, conical bill is grey and the legs and feet are also grey. Females are similar to males but are slightly duller, paler and browner. Juveniles are brown above and buff below with a pinkish-red rump. The birds have dry, trilling calls.

Jameson's Firefinch is similar but lacks the grey crown and nape and does not overlap in range. The Rock Firefinch (L. sanguinodorsalis) is also similar but has grey only on the crown and its bill has a pale grey patch at the base of the lower mandible.

The bird is endemic to the East Sudanian savanna ecoregion. It occurs in south-west Chad where it is fairly common and north-east Cameroon where it is rare. It inhabits rocky hillsides in areas of arid savanna with tall grass.

[edit] References

Clement, Peter; Harris, Alan & Davies, John (1993) Finches and Sparrows: An Identification Guide, Christopher Helm, London.
Sinclair, Ian & Ryan, Peter (2003) Birds of Africa south of the Sahara, Struik, Cape Town.