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African Firefinch (Dark Firefinch)

DE: Dunkelrote Amarant, NL: Donkerrode amarant (Donkerrode vuurvink), FR: Amarante foncé,
ES: Pinzón Candela Oscuro, IT: Amaranto africano, PT: Amarante escuro,
DK: Mørkerød Amarant, SW: Mörkröd amarant, NO: Svartnebbamarant, FI: Tuliruusupeippo,
PL: Amarantka zmienna, CZ: Amarant tmavý, HU: Sötétvörös amarant

Lagonosticta rubricata

Lagonosticta rubricata rubricata
Lagonosticta r.congica
Lagonosticta r. haematocephala
Lagonosticta r. polionota
Lagonosticta r. ugandae

Origin: Gabon, Congo, D.R. Congo (Zaire), Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, Zimbabwe, South-Africa, Mozambique, Cameroon, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Centr. Afr. Rep, Sudan, Uganda en Ethiopia

Length: 11 cm

African Firefinch (male)

African Firefinch (male)

 

African Firefinch (female)

African Firefinch (female)

 

Food: Firefinches feed on small seeds, of grass and various millet species among others, which they find on the ground. They also now and then catch some live food, in the form of ants or termites. During the time they bring up their young they take more live food which they feed to them.

Outside the breeding season the birds move about in pairs or small families, often ogether with other firefinches. Peaceful birds, also towards their own species. Rather shy.