| Plum-headed finch | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Aidemosyne Reichenbach, 1862 |
| Species: | A. modesta |
| Binomial name | |
| Aidemosyne modesta (Gould, 1837) | |
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| Approximate range | |
Theplum-headed finch (Aidemosyne modesta) also known ascherry finch is a common species ofestrildid finch found inAustralia. It is the only species placed in the genusAidemosyne. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000 – 1,000,000 km2.
The plum-headed finch wasformally described and illustrated in 1837 by the English ornithologistJohn Gould in his bookA Synopsis of the Birds of Australia, and the Adjacent Islands. Gould coined thebinomial nameAmadina modesta.[2][3] This species was formerly placed in the genusNeochmia. Amolecular phylogenetic study of the Estrildidae published in 2020 found that the genusNeochmia wasparaphyletic.[4] In the reorganization to createmonophyletic genera, the plum-headed finch was moved to the genusAidemosyne that had been introduced in 1862 by the German naturalistLudwig Reichenbach.[5][6] The genus name Aidemosyne is fromAncient Greekaidēmosunē meaning "modesty". The specific epithetmodesta isLatin meaning "plain", "modest" or "unassuming".[7] The species ismonotypic: nosubspecies are recognised.[6]
The plum-headed finch is a robust bird, with a stocky, strong beak and a long tail. It measures some 15 cm long. The scientific name emphasizes the absence of the flamboyant livery typical of many Australian species, as the brown tones predominate in the plumage of this bird; the upper part of the body (nape, back, wings and tail) is in fact a deep brown color, with a tendency to darken on the tail, while the ventral area (cheeks, throat, chest, abdomen and hips) is beige color that turns towards white in the central part of the belly and on the undertail. The bird distinguishes for its fine zebra like colouring, which is white and present on the eyebrows, neck, chest, hips and tail, while on the remiges are two rows of white spots. The beak is black, the legs are flesh-colored and the eyes are dark brown. In the male there are also a rust colored bib and a frontal stain of the same color (often with a brighter color tending to purple red), which in the female are reduced or absent, in any case with a predominance of brown on red; they also have less dense stripes. The female is similar to the male but lacks the male's black chin spot.
It is found in dry savannah and subtropical/tropical (lowland) dry shrubland in Australia.
The plum-headed finch breeds mainly from September to January in the south and from August to March in the north. The nest is round, laterally compressed chamber of green grass and is built in thick bushes. Four to six pure white eggs are laid.
TheInternational Union for Conservation of Nature has classified this species as being ofleast concern.[1]
