Fody
Fodies | |
---|---|
Male red fody in breeding plumage | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Ploceidae |
Genus: | Foudia Reichenbach, 1850 |
Type species | |
Loxia madagascariensis[1] Linnaeus, 1766 | |
Species | |
see text |
Fodies are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Foudia in the weaver family Ploceidae.
Description
The birds are 12 to 15 centimetres (4.7 to 5.9 in) long and have short, conical bills. Males in breeding plumage are usually colourful with bright red or yellow on the head and sometimes elsewhere. Non-breeding males and females are dull, sparrow-like birds with mostly grey-brown plumage.
Fodies are typically found in forest, woodland or scrubland but some also occur in man-made habitats, especially the red fody. Some species feed mainly on seeds while others are largely insectivorous. Fodies build a dome-shaped nest of grass and other plant material. It has a side-opening and it is suspended from a branch or palm leaf.
The genus was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1850.[2] The type species was subsequently designated as the red fody.[3]
Species list
The genus contains eight species:[4]
Image | Common name | Scientific name | Distribution |
---|---|---|---|
Red fody or Madagascar fody | Foudia madagascariensis | Madagascar | |
Comoros fody or red-headed fody | Foudia eminentissima | Comoros, Mayotte and Seychelles | |
Aldabra fody | Foudia aldabrana | Aldabra Island | |
Forest fody | Foudia omissa | Madagascar. | |
Mauritius fody | Foudia rubra | Mauritius | |
Seychelles fody | Foudia sechellarum | Seychelles islands of Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Frégate Island | |
Rodrigues fody | Foudia flavicans | Mauritius | |
Réunion fody | †Foudia delloni | Réunion. |
Distribution
They are native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where they occur on Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comoro Islands and the Mascarene Islands. The red fody has also been introduced to the Chagos Archipelago, Bahrain and Saint Helena. While the red fody is one of the most common birds of the region, several of the other fodies are considered to be threatened, particularly the Mauritius fody which is classed as endangered.
References
- ^ "Ploceidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
- ^ Reichenbach, Ludwig (1850). Avium Systema Naturale. Das natürliche System der Vögel. Dresden: Expedition der Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. Plate 79.
- ^ Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 62.
- ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
Sources
- Sinclair, Ian & Langrand, Olivier (1998) Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands, Struik, Cape Town.
- Skerrett, Adrian; Bullock, Ian & Disley, Tony (2001) Birds of Seychelles, Christopher Helm, London.
- v
- t
- e
- White-billed buffalo weaver (B. albirostris)
- Red-billed buffalo weaver (B. niger)
- White-headed buffalo weaver (D. dinemelli)
- Speckle-fronted weaver (S. frontalis)
- Scaly-feathered weaver (S. squamifrons)
- White-browed sparrow-weaver (P. mahali)
- Chestnut-crowned sparrow-weaver (P. superciliosus)
- Chestnut-backed sparrow-weaver (P. rufoscapulatus)
- Donaldson Smith's sparrow-weaver (P. donaldsoni)
- Rufous-tailed weaver (H. ruficauda)
- Grey-capped social weaver (P. arnaudi)
- Black-capped social weaver (P. cabanisi)
- Sociable weaver (P. socius)
- Compact weaver (P. superciliosus)
- Black-chinned weaver (P. nigrimentus)
- Baglafecht weaver (P. baglafecht)
- Bertram's weaver (P. bertrandi)
- Slender-billed weaver (P. pelzelni)
- Loango weaver (P. subpersonatus)
- Little weaver (P. luteolus)
- Lesser masked weaver (P. intermedius)
- Spectacled weaver (P. ocularis)
- Bannerman's weaver (P. bannermani)
- Bates's weaver (P. batesi)
- Black-necked weaver (P. nigricollis)
- Black-billed weaver (P. melanogaster)
- Strange weaver (P. alienus)
- Bocage's weaver (P. temporalis)
- Cape weaver (P. capensis)
- Eastern golden weaver (P. subaureus)
- Holub's golden weaver (P. xanthops)
- Príncipe weaver (Ploceus princeps)
- Orange weaver (P. aurantius)
- Golden palm weaver (P. bojeri)
- Taveta weaver (P. castaneiceps)
- Ruvu weaver (P. holoxanthus)
- Southern brown-throated weaver (P. xanthopterus)
- Northern brown-throated weaver (P. castanops)
- Kilombero weaver (P. burnieri)
- Rüppell's weaver or Rueppell's weaver (P. galbula)
- Heuglin's masked weaver (P. heuglini)
- Northern masked weaver (P. taeniopterus)
- Vitelline masked weaver (P. vitellinus)
- Southern masked weaver (P. velatus)
- Katanga masked weaver (P. katangae)
- Lufira masked weaver (P. ruweti)
- Tanzanian masked weaver (P. reichardi)
- Village weaver (P. cucullatus)
- Giant weaver (P. grandis)
- Speke's weaver (P. spekei)
- Fox's weaver (P. spekeoides)
- Vieillot's black weaver (P. nigerrimus)
- Weyns's weaver (P. weynsi)
- Clarke's weaver (P. golandi)
- Black-headed weaver (P. melanocephalus)
- Juba weaver (P. dichrocephalus)
- Golden-backed weaver (P. jacksoni)
- Cinnamon weaver (P. badius)
- Chestnut weaver (P. rubiginosus)
- Golden-naped weaver (P. aureonucha)
- Yellow-mantled weaver (P. tricolor)
- Maxwell's black weaver (P. albinucha)
- Nelicourvi weaver (P. nelicourvi)
- Sakalava weaver (P. sakalava)
- Streaked weaver (P. manyar)
- Baya weaver (P. philippinus)
- Asian golden weaver (P. hypoxanthus)
- Finn's weaver (P. megarhynchus)
- Black-breasted weaver (P. benghalensis)
- Dark-backed weaver (P. bicolor)
- Preuss's weaver (P. preussi)
- Yellow-capped weaver (P. dorsomaculatus)
- Usambara weaver (P. nicolli)
- Olive-headed weaver (P. olivaceiceps)
- Brown-capped weaver (P. insignis)
- Bar-winged weaver (P. angolensis)
- São Tomé weaver (P. sanctithomae)
- Yellow-legged weaver (P. flavipes)
- Compact weaver (P. superciliosus)
- Red-crowned malimbe (M. coronatus)
- Cassin's malimbe (M. cassini)
- Gola malimbe (M. ballmanni)
- Rachel's malimbe (M. racheliae)
- Red-vented malimbe (M. scutatus)
- Ibadan malimbe (M. ibadanensis)
- Red-bellied malimbe (M. erythrogaster)
- Blue-billed malimbe (M. nitens)
- Crested malimbe (M. malimbicus)
- Red-headed malimbe (M. rubricollis)
- Red-headed weaver (A. rubriceps)
- Bob-tailed weaver (B. anomala)
- Cardinal quelea (Q. cardinalis)
- Red-headed quelea (Q. erythrops)
- Red-billed quelea (Q. quelea)
- Red fody (F. madagascariensis)
- Comoros fody (F. eminentissima)
- Aldabra fody, (F. aldabrana)
- Forest fody (F. omissa)
- Mauritius fody (F. rubra)
- Seychelles fody (F. sechellarum)
- Rodrigues fody (F. flavicans)
- Yellow-crowned bishop (E. afer)
- Fire-fronted bishop (E. diadematus)
- Black bishop (E. gierowii)
- Black-winged red bishop (E. hordeaceus)
- Northern red bishop or orange bishop (E. franciscanus)
- Southern red bishop or red bishop (E. orix)
- Zanzibar red bishop (E. nigroventris)
- Golden-backed bishop (E. aureus)
- Yellow bishop (E. capensis)
- Fan-tailed widowbird (E. axillaris)
- Yellow-mantled widowbird (E. macroura)
- White-winged widowbird (E. albonotatus)
- Red-collared widowbird (E. ardens)
- Marsh widowbird (E. hartlaubi)
- Montane widowbird (E. psammacromius)
- Long-tailed widowbird (E. progne)
- Jackson's widowbird (E. jacksoni)
- Thick-billed weaver (A. albifrons)