Crimson-wing
Encyclopedia
The crimson-wings are a genus
of small passerine
bird
s belonging to the estrildid finch
family Estrildidae. There are four species. They are found in parts of Africa
, particularly the Albertine Rift; all four species occur there and two, Shelley's
and Dusky Crimson-wing
s, are found nowhere else. They are secretive birds which mainly inhabit mountain forest
s with dense undergrowth. They usually forage on or near the ground, feeding mainly on seed
s such as those of grass
es and balsam
.
They are 11–13 cm long with short wings and a short, rounded tail. The bill
is thick and conical and either black or red. They all have a reddish back and rump and olive or grey underparts. Juvenile
birds are duller than the adults.
Destruction and degradation of their forest habitat is a potential threat to the crimson-wings and Shelley's Crimson-wing is classified as Vulnerable
by the IUCN.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of small passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s belonging to the estrildid finch
Estrildid finch
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....
family Estrildidae. There are four species. They are found in parts of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, particularly the Albertine Rift; all four species occur there and two, Shelley's
Shelley's Crimson-wing
Shelley's Crimson-wing Cryptospiza shelleyi is a vulnerable species of estrildid finch found in Burundi, eastern The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and western Uganda in Africa. It has shown population decline over the past few decades, with a current population estimate of 2 500 - 9 999...
and Dusky Crimson-wing
Dusky Crimson-wing
The Dusky Crimson-wing is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 78,000 km².It is found in Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda....
s, are found nowhere else. They are secretive birds which mainly inhabit mountain forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s with dense undergrowth. They usually forage on or near the ground, feeding mainly on seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
s such as those of grass
Grass
Grasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns ...
es and balsam
Impatiens
Impatiens is a genus of about 850–1,000 species of flowering plants, widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere and tropics. Together with the puzzling Hydrocera triflora, this genus makes up the family Balsaminaceae...
.
They are 11–13 cm long with short wings and a short, rounded tail. The bill
Beak
The beak, bill or rostrum is an external anatomical structure of birds which is used for eating and for grooming, manipulating objects, killing prey, fighting, probing for food, courtship and feeding young...
is thick and conical and either black or red. They all have a reddish back and rump and olive or grey underparts. Juvenile
Juvenile (organism)
A juvenile is an individual organism that has not yet reached its adult form, sexual maturity or size. Juveniles sometimes look very different from the adult form, particularly in terms of their colour...
birds are duller than the adults.
Destruction and degradation of their forest habitat is a potential threat to the crimson-wings and Shelley's Crimson-wing is classified as Vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
by the IUCN.
Species list
- Red-faced Crimson-wingRed-faced Crimson-wingThe Red-faced Crimson-wing is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 390,000 km²....
, Cryptospiza reichenovii - Abyssinian Crimson-wingAbyssinian Crimson-wingThe Abyssinian Crimson-wing is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 190,000 km²....
, Cryptospiza salvadorii - Dusky Crimson-wingDusky Crimson-wingThe Dusky Crimson-wing is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 78,000 km².It is found in Burundi, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda....
, Cryptospiza jacksoni - Shelley's Crimson-wingShelley's Crimson-wingShelley's Crimson-wing Cryptospiza shelleyi is a vulnerable species of estrildid finch found in Burundi, eastern The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and western Uganda in Africa. It has shown population decline over the past few decades, with a current population estimate of 2 500 - 9 999...
, Cryptospiza shelleyi