Cardinal quelea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cardinal quelea |
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Conservation status | |
Scientific classification | |
Genus: |
Quelea
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Species: |
cardinalis
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The cardinal quelea (Quelea cardinalis) is a small, colorful bird. It belongs to the Ploceidae family, which are often called weaver birds. These birds are found in several countries in Africa. You can spot them in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
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What Does the Cardinal Quelea Look Like?
The cardinal quelea is a small bird, only about 10 centimeters (4 inches) long. It looks a bit like a sparrow. It has a short, thick black beak. These birds like to build their nests together in large groups, forming colonies.
Male and Female Differences
Male cardinal queleas are quite striking when it's time to breed. Their heads are bright red, and this color extends down onto their chest. However, the red does not go onto the back of their neck, which has streaks.
Female cardinal queleas look different. They have a yellowish face and throat. They also have stripes above their eyes, like eyebrows.
When males are not breeding, their feathers change. They look more like the females, but they usually keep some red color on their heads.
The Cardinal Quelea's Family Tree
Scientists give every living thing a special scientific name. This helps everyone around the world know exactly which animal or plant they are talking about. The cardinal quelea's scientific name is Quelea cardinalis.
Naming the Cardinal Quelea
The first person to describe the cardinal quelea was a scientist named Gustav Hartlaub. He gave it a different scientific name, Hyphantica cardinalis, in 1880. He studied birds that were collected by Emin Pasha in South Sudan in 1879.
Later, in 1951, another scientist named Hans von Boetticher thought the cardinal quelea and the red-headed quelea were special enough to have their own group. He created a new genus, Queleopsis, just for them.
In the Swahili language, which is spoken in parts of East Africa, the cardinal quelea is called kwelea kidari-chekundu. This name means "red-chested quelea."
Bird Relatives
Scientists use DNA to figure out how different birds are related. Recent studies show that the cardinal quelea is very closely related to the red-headed quelea. These two birds are like close cousins.
They are also related to the red-billed quelea, which is another bird in the Quelea genus. The Quelea birds are part of a larger group called true weavers.
The Quelea genus is most closely related to birds in the genus Foudia. These Foudia birds are found on islands in the western Indian Ocean. This whole group of birds is then related to some Asian species in the genus Ploceus.