Red-browed firetail

Neochmia temporalis

(Photo from Wikipedia)

Common name:

red-browed firetail (en); bico-de-lacre-de-sobrolho-vermelho (pt); diamant à cinq couleurs (fr); pico de cera de cejas rojas (es); dornastrild (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Estrildidae

Range:

The red-browed firetail is found along the east coats of Australia and it has also been introduced to French Polynesia.

Size:

These birds are 10-12 cm long and weigh 11 g.

Habitat:

They are found in grassy areas interspersed with dense understorey vegetation, often along creek lines.

Diet:

Red-browed firetails mostly feed on seeds and insects on the ground, but sometimes perches on seeding grass heads.

Breeding:

These birds breed in October-April. The nest is large and domed, with a side tunnel for an entrance. It is a rough construction of twigs and grass stems built in a dense shrub 1-2 m above the ground. There the female lays 4-6 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 22 days after hatching. Each pair may produce 2-3 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the species is described as common or locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.