Grey-headed Silverbill

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Grey-headed Silverbill
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Genus: Lonchura
Species: L. griseicapilla
Binomial name
Lonchura griseicapilla
(Delacour, 1943)

The Grey-headed Silverbill Lonchura griseicapilla also known as Peal-headed Mannikin is a species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Tanzania. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 400,000 km². It is sometimes placed in the genus Odontospiza as Odontospiza griseicapilla.

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[edit] Characteristics

[edit] Identification

The Grey-headed Silverbill is a stocky bird with a grey head studded with white dots. Its body greyish- brown, partly black wings and tail, white rump. The juvenile can be told by its white rump.

Adult male is approximately 11.5 cm in length with wing length 6.5 cm.

[edit] Habitat

The Grey-headed Silverbill is commonly found in dry savanna habitat but never too far awat from water.

[edit] Behavior

The Grey-headed Silverbill is gregarious, moving in small flocks and often mixing with African Silverbill.

[edit] Food

The Grey-headed Silverbill feeds mostly on grass seeds. But it has been suggested that the species also feed on insects which are more a source of moisture than dry seeds.

[edit] Movement

The Grey-headed Silverbill wanders widely, influenced by weather and shifting availability of sources of water.

[edit] References

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