Red drop astrild

Red drop astrild

We are delighted that Giesela Fahrenberger has taken on the sponsorship of the red teardrop astrild (Hypargos niveoguttatus).

In this country, bird lovers like to keep them as ornamental birds in cages or aviaries. However, the actual home of the teardrop finches, which belong to the Estrildidae family, is in Africa, from the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Zimbabwe. The birds, which are around 12 centimetres in size, often live on the edges of forests or in dense bushes on the edge of bodies of water in the interior of rainforests or other forest formations.

The colourful feathered fellows usually forage on the ground: various grass seeds are on the menu, as well as insects, which are brought in for the offspring, especially during the breeding season. Both parents are responsible for feeding their offspring, both the male, which - like our godchild - is clearly recognisable by its bright crimson face and neck plumage, and the female, which is somewhat less conspicuous in these areas and has a grey-yellowish colour.

The pair of birds build the spherical nest with a tunnel-like side entrance from grass, root fibres, fern leaves and dry moss. At least in breeding pairs, it has been observed that the female is even "allowed" to pluck a few feathers from the male in order to pad the nest with soft material for the newly hatched young birds.