Lesser seedcracker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lesser seedcracker |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Pyrenestes
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| Species: |
minor
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The lesser seedcracker (also called the Nyasa seedcracker) is a small bird found in eastern Africa. Its scientific name is Pyrenestes minor. This bird is a type of estrildid finch, which are often called "waxbills" or "munias."
You can find the lesser seedcracker in countries like Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. It lives across a very large area. Experts at the International Union for Conservation of Nature say this bird is a "least concern" species. This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
What Does It Look Like?
The lesser seedcracker is about 14 cm (5.5 in) long. That's about the size of a small sparrow!
Male Birds:
- Their bodies are mostly brown with a hint of olive green.
- Their forehead, top of the head, face, chin, throat, and upper chest are bright red.
- Their lower back (rump) and middle tail feathers are a deep, blood-red color.
- The feathers on their belly are lighter than those on their back.
Female Birds:
- Females look a lot like males.
- However, they have less red on their face and the top of their head.
Young Birds (Juveniles):
- Young lesser seedcrackers look like the adults.
- But their colors are not as bright or strong.
Other Features:
- They have a short, wide, black beak.
- Their eyes are brown with a white ring around them.
- Their legs are usually grayish-brown or dark grey.
This bird might look a bit like the black-bellied seedcracker. But don't worry about mixing them up! These two birds live in different places.
Where Do They Live?
The lesser seedcracker lives in specific parts of eastern Africa. You can find them in:
- Southern Tanzania
- Eastern Zimbabwe
- Southern Malawi
- Northern Mozambique
These birds prefer to live in upland forests. They are found at heights between 725 and 1,800 m (2,400 and 5,900 ft) above sea level. They like areas with lots of rain. You might also see them at the edges of forests in drier places.
They often live in:
- Brachystegia woodlands (a type of tree forest)
- Forest clearings
- Bushy areas
- Places with tall, thick plants
- Often near rivers or streams
While they usually stay in one place, some lesser seedcrackers in eastern Zimbabwe do move around a bit.
How Do They Behave?
Lesser seedcrackers usually search for food in pairs. They often look for food low in the bushes or on the ground.
What They Eat:
- They mostly eat seeds.
- This includes seeds from different types of grass.
- They also eat rice seeds.
- They especially like the large, hard seeds from a type of bamboo called Olyra latifolia.
Reproduction and Life Cycle: Lating season for these birds happens at different times depending on where they live:
- In Malawi and Zimbabwe, they breed between December and March.
- In Mozambique, they breed between March and May.
Conservation Status
The lesser seedcracker lives across a very large area. There are no big threats that are causing their numbers to drop. Because of this, the International Union for Conservation of Nature has decided that its conservation status is "least concern." This means they are not worried about this species becoming endangered right now.
