Photo by talon_dfa in Makali, Sierra Leone during banding/ringing
- Pyrenestes sanguineus
Identification
13cm.
Male
- Red body
- Brown on lower belly and wings
- Crimson head
- Crimson tail
- White eyering
- Pale red brown legs
- Short, thick, dark grey bill
Female
- Similar but no red flanks
- Duller breast and nape
Distribution
Gambia, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Taxonomy
There are 2 subspecies.
Habitat
Wetlands, marshes, rivers, moist scrubland.
Behaviour
The diet includes seeds, but insects are taken during the breeding season and are fed to the young.
The nest is built from reeds. 3-4 white eggs are laid and are incubated by the female for 14 to 15 days.
References
Rainforest Birds
