Beautiful firetail facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Beautiful firetail |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| male | |
 |
|
| female | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Stagonopleura
|
| Species: |
bella
|
 |
|
| distribution | |
The beautiful firetail (Stagonopleura bella) is a small, colorful bird found in Australia. It belongs to a group of birds called estrildid finches. These birds live across a very large area, about 1,000,000 square kilometers!
The beautiful firetail lives in mild shrubland areas in Australia. The IUCN, a group that checks on animals, says this bird is of "least concern". This means it is not currently in danger of disappearing.
Contents
About the Beautiful Firetail
The beautiful firetail is a small, plump bird. It is about 10 to 13 centimeters (4 to 5 inches) long. It weighs around 14 grams (about half an ounce). This makes it a bit smaller than a diamond firetail.
Most of its feathers are olive-brown. Its chest is white with thin, dark lines. The bird has a black mask on its face. Around its eyes are pale blue rings. It also has a thick red beak. Its bottom (rump) is a bright red. Its legs and feet are a creamy pink color. Both its wings and tail are short and rounded.
Young beautiful firetails are not as colorful as adults. They have a smaller face mask and a blackish beak. Male birds have a black belly.
Where They Live
The beautiful firetail lives only in Southeastern Australia. You can find them from Newcastle all the way to Kangaroo Island. However, they are most common in Tasmania and nearby islands.
These birds like to live near water. They can be found in coastal heathland, forests, and bushy areas. One study found them mostly in areas next to rivers or streams within forests.
The beautiful firetail is a resident bird. This means it usually stays in the same area and does not travel far.
What They Eat and How They Live
Beautiful firetails mostly eat seeds. They enjoy grass seeds, as well as seeds from Casuarina and Melaleuca trees. Sometimes, they also eat small insects and snails.
These birds are usually seen in pairs. They can also form small groups of up to 20 birds.
Raising Their Young
The breeding season for beautiful firetails is from October to January. During this time, they build their nests in thick bushes close to the ground.
Their nests are made of grass and thin twigs. The inside is lined with soft feathers. The nest is shaped like a bottle. It has a long, tunnel-like entrance on one side. This tunnel leads to a round nesting room inside.
Both the male and female birds work together to build the nest. They also take turns sitting on the eggs. A female usually lays five to eight eggs. The eggs hatch after about 20 days. After the chicks hatch, both parents feed them. The young birds leave the nest after another 20 days. They are ready to live on their own about four weeks later. Beautiful firetails can start having their own chicks when they are about nine to twelve months old.
In Popular Culture
The Australian "Firetail" wine brand is named after this bird.
See also
In Spanish: Diamante hermoso para niños
