| Spermestes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Bronze mannikin (Spermestes cucullata) | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Spermestes Swainson, 1837 |
| Type species | |
| Spermestes cucullata bronze mannikin Swainson, 1837 | |
| Species | |
See text | |
Spermestes is agenus of small seed-eating birds in the familyEstrildidae. They are distributed across Sub-Saharan Africa.
The genusSpermestes was introduced in 1837 by the English naturalistWilliam Swainson to accommodate thebronze mannikin.[1] The name combines theAncient Greeksperma meaning "seed" and-estēs meaning "-eater".[2]
Based on the results of amolecular phylogenetic study published in 2020, this genus was resurrected for aclade of species that were formerly assigned to the generaLonchura andOdontospiza.[3][4]
The genus contains four species:[4]
| Common name | Scientific name and subspecies | Range | Size and ecology | IUCN status and estimated population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grey-headed silverbill
| Spermestes griseicapilla (Delacour, 1943) | eastern Africa | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Bronze mannikin
| Spermestes cucullata Swainson, 1837 | Africa south of the Sahara Desert | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Magpie mannikin
| Spermestes fringilloides (Lafresnaye, 1835) | Sub-Saharan Africa | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
| Black-and-white mannikin
| Spermestes bicolor (Fraser, 1843) Four subspecies
| African tropical rainforest | Size: Habitat: Diet: | LC |
 | ThisEstrildidae-related article is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
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