Grey-headed silverbill

The grey-headed silverbill (Spermestes griseicapilla), also known as pearl-headed mannikin, is a species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, and Tanzania. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 400,000 km². It is now usually placed in the monotypic genus Odontospiza as Odontospiza caniceps. It is sometimes placed in the genus Lonchura.

Grey-headed silverbill

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Spermestes
Species:
S. griseicapilla
Binomial name
Spermestes griseicapilla
(Reichenow, 1879)
Synonyms

Odontospiza griseicapilla
Lonchura griseicapilla

Characteristics

Identification

The grey-headed silverbill is a stocky bird with a grey head studded with white dots. Its body is greyish-brown with partly black wings and tail and a white rump. The juvenile can be told by its white rump.

Adult male is approximately 11.5 cm in length with wing length 6.5 cm.

Habitat

The grey-headed silverbill is commonly found in dry savanna habitat but never too far away from water.

Behavior

The grey-headed silverbill is gregarious, moving in small flocks and often mixing with African silverbill.

Food

The grey-headed silverbill feeds mostly on grass seeds. But it has been suggested that the species also feed on insects which are more a source of moisture than dry seeds.

Movement

The grey-headed silverbill wanders widely, influenced by weather and shifting availability of sources of water.

Origin

Origin and phylogeny has been obtained by Antonio Arnaiz-Villena et al.[2] Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter (towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats).

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References
  1. BirdLife International (2012). "Odontospiza griseicapilla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. Arnaiz-Villena, A; Ruiz-del-Valle V; Gomez-Prieto P; Reguera R; Parga-Lozano C; Serrano-Vela I (2009). "Estrildinae Finches (Aves, Passeriformes) from Africa, South Asia and Australia: a Molecular Phylogeographic Study" (PDF). The Open Ornithology Journal. 2: 29–36. doi:10.2174/1874453200902010029.


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