Bar-breasted firefinch facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bar-breasted firefinch |
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The bar-breasted firefinch (Lagonosticta rufopicta) is a small, colorful bird found in parts of Africa. It's a common type of estrildid finch, which are often called waxbills. These birds live across a huge area, covering about 2.9 million square kilometers!
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What Does It Look Like?
The bar-breasted firefinch is about 11 centimeters (4.3 inches) long. It has a bright red head and chest. Its chest also has cool white stripes or speckles, which is how it gets its name! The red color is deepest on its forehead and around its eyes, then fades a bit on its cheeks and throat.
Most of its upper body, like its back and crown, is greyish-brown. But its lower back and the feathers near its tail are a bright, deep red. Its tail is a darker brown, sometimes with some red near the base. The feathers under its red chest are a light greyish-brown. Young firefinches are not as colorful. They only have red on their lower back and tail feathers.
Where Does It Live?
You can find the bar-breasted firefinch across a wide part of western and central Africa. Its home ranges from Gambia and southern Senegal in the west. It stretches all the way east to western Uganda and eastern Kenya.
Where Does It Live and What Does It Do?
The bar-breasted firefinch is a common bird. It likes to live in grasslands, bushy areas, and open savannas with acacia trees. You can also find it in clearings within forests. Sometimes, it even lives near towns and farms, especially in damp places.
These birds usually hang out in pairs or small family groups. But after the breeding season, they might form larger flocks. They also join groups with other types of birds. The bar-breasted firefinch looks for its food on the ground. It mainly eats small seeds, especially grass seeds and millet.
Bird Families: Taxonomy
The bar-breasted firefinch is closely related to the brown firefinch (Lagnosticta nitidula). Scientists sometimes group them together because they are so similar. There are two main types, or subspecies, of the bar-breasted firefinch:
- Lagonosticta rufopicta rufopicta: This type is found from Senegal and Gambia, east to Nigeria, Cameroon, southern Chad, and the Central African Republic.
- Lagonosticta rufopicta lateritia: This type lives in South Sudan, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, western Ethiopia, Uganda, and southwestern Kenya.
