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Red avadavat
Species of bird

The red avadavat (Amandava amandava), red munia or strawberry finch, is a sparrow-sized bird of the family Estrildidae. It is found in the open fields and grasslands of tropical Asia and is popular as a cage bird due to the colourful plumage of the males in their breeding season. It breeds in the Indian Subcontinent in the monsoon season. The species name of amandava and the common name of avadavat are derived from the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India, from where these birds were exported into the pet trade in former times.

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Taxonomy

The red avadavat was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Fringilla amandava.3 Linnaeus based his description on "The Amaduvads Cock and Hen" that has been described and illustrated in 1738 by the English naturalist Eleazar Albin.4 Linnaeus specified the locality as East India but this was restricted to Kolkata (Calcutta) by E. C. Stuart Baker in 1921.56 This species is now placed in the genus Amandava that was introduced in 1836 by the English zoologist Edward Blyth.78

The red avadavat were earlier included in the genus Estrilda by Jean Delacour. This placement was followed for a while but morphological,9 behavioural, biochemical10 and DNA studies now support their separation in the genus Amandava.111213

Three subspecies are recognised:14

  • A. a. amandava (Linnaeus, 1758) – Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh
  • A. a. flavidiventris (Wallace, 1864) – Myanmar, south China, northwest, central Thailand and the Lesser Sundas
  • A. a. punicea (Horsfield, 1821) – southeast Thailand, Cambodia, south Vietnam, Java and Bali

Description

This small finch is easily identified by the rounded black tail and the bill that is seasonally red. The rump is red and the breeding male is red on most of the upper parts except for a black eye-stripe, lower belly and wings. There are white spots on the red body and wing feathers. The non-breeding male is duller but has the red-rump while the female is duller with less of the white spotting on the feathers.1516

Distribution and habitat

Red avadavats are found mainly on flat plains, in places with tall grasses or crops, often near water.17 The species has four named subspecies. The nominate subspecies is called amandava and is found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan; the Burmese form is called flavidiventris (also found in parts of China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam);18 the population further east in Java is called punicea and in Cambodia, decouxi.19202122

Introduced populations exist in several locations worldwide: southern Spain,23 Brunei, Fiji,24 Egypt,25 Malaysia, the United States, Bahrain, Guadeloupe, Iran, Italy, Réunion, Malaysia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Martinique, Portugal, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and Hawaii.262728

Behaviour and ecology

This finch is usually seen in small flocks,29 flying with rapid wingbeats and descending into grass clumps where they are hard to observe. Pairs stay together during the breeding season.30 These birds produce a distinctive low single note pseep call that is often given in flight. The song is a series of low notes.31 Birds of a flock will preen each other, ruffling their head feathers in invitation.32 They feed mainly on grass seeds but will also take insects such as termites when they are available.33

They build a globular nest made of grass blades. The usual clutch is about five or six white eggs.34

The beak begins to turn red in May and darkens during November and December. The beak then turns rapidly to black in April and the cycle continues.35 These seasonal cycles are linked to seasonal changes in daylength.36

Two ectoparasitic species of bird lice (an ischnoceran, Brueelia amandavae, and an amblyceran, Myrsidea amandava) have been identified living on them37 and a paramyxovirus has been isolated from birds kept in Japan.3839

Conservation

Though the current conservation status of Red avadavat is Least Concern (LC), it has become increasingly uncommon in at least part of Southeast Asia. In Thailand, they are described an uncommon to rare resident.40 In Cambodia, Red avadavats were already "exported by the thousands" to Vietnam in the 1920s, described as "uncommon and irregular" in the early 1960s, and populations are now considered to be low and of concern, yet significant numbers were still found in the merit release trade in 2012.41

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amandava amandava. Wikispecies has information related to Amandava amandava.

References

  1. Pittie A (2004). "A dictionary of scientific bird names originating from the Indian region". Buceros. 9 (2). https://archive.org/details/BirdNamesIndia ↩

  2. Yule H (1886). Hobson-Jobson:A glossary of Anglo-Indian colloquial words and phrases. John Murray. p. 30. https://archive.org/stream/cu31924012794628#page/n83/mode/1up/search/Avadavat ↩

  3. Linnaeus, Carl (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis (in Latin). Vol. 1 (10th ed.). Holmiae (Stockholm): Laurentii Salvii. p. 180. /wiki/Carl_Linnaeus ↩

  4. Albin, Eleazar; Derham, William (1738). A Natural History of Birds : Illustrated with a Hundred and One Copper Plates, Curiously Engraven from the Life. Vol. 3. London: Printed for the author and sold by William Innys. p. 72, Plate 77. /wiki/Eleazar_Albin ↩

  5. Baker, E.C. Stuart (1921). "Hand-list of the "Birds of India" Part III". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 27: 692–744 [725]. /wiki/E._C._Stuart_Baker ↩

  6. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 348. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14481549 ↩

  7. White, Gilbert (1836). Blyth, Edward (ed.). The Natural History of Selborne, with its Antiquites; Naturalist's Calendar, &c. London: Orr and Smith. p. 44, Footnote. /wiki/Gilbert_White ↩

  8. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 14 July 2021. /wiki/Frank_Gill_(ornithologist) ↩

  9. Harrison, C.J.O. (1962). "The affinities of the Red Avadavat, Amandava amandava (Linn.)". Bulletin of the British Ornithologists' Club. 82: 126–132. https://archive.org/stream/bulletinofbritis82brit#page/126/mode/2up ↩

  10. Christidis, L (1987). "Biochemical systematics within Palaeotropic finches (Aves: Estrildidae)" (PDF). The Auk. 104 (3): 380–392. doi:10.2307/4087534. JSTOR 4087534. http://sora.unm.edu/sites/default/files/journals/auk/v104n03/p0380-p0392.pdf ↩

  11. Harrison, CJO (1962). "An ethological comparison of some waxbills (Estrildini), and its relevance to their taxonomy". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 139 (2): 261–282. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1962.tb01830.x. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  12. Delacour, Jean (1943). "A revision of the subfamily Estrildinae of the family Ploceidae". Zoologica. 28: 69–86. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/51008602 ↩

  13. Webster, J.D. (2007). "Skeletal characters and the systematics of Estrildid finches (Aves:Estrildidae)". Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science. 116 (1): 90–107. Archived from the original on 2011-05-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20110524004704/http://www.indianaacademyofscience.org/Documents/Proceedings/V116/Proc_v116_1_2007_pp90-107.aspx ↩

  14. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2021). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 11.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 14 July 2021. /wiki/Frank_Gill_(ornithologist) ↩

  15. Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Anderton, John C. (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. 2: Attributes and Status (2nd ed.). Washington D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions. p. 572. ISBN 978-84-96553-87-3. 978-84-96553-87-3 ↩

  16. Whistler, Hugh (1949). Popular Handbook of Indian Birds. Gurney and Jackson. pp. 216–217. https://archive.org/stream/popularhandbooko033226mbp#page/n259/mode/1up ↩

  17. Rasmussen, Pamela C.; Anderton, John C. (2012). Birds of South Asia. The Ripley Guide. Vol. 2: Attributes and Status (2nd ed.). Washington D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History and Lynx Edicions. p. 572. ISBN 978-84-96553-87-3. 978-84-96553-87-3 ↩

  18. Baker, E.C. Stuart (1921). "Hand-list of the "Birds of India" Part III". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 27: 692–744 [725]. /wiki/E._C._Stuart_Baker ↩

  19. Oates, EW (1890). Fauna of British India. Birds. Volume 2. Taylor and Francis, London. pp. 192–193. https://archive.org/stream/faunaofbritishin02oate#page/192/mode/1up/search/amandava ↩

  20. Deignan, H.G. (1963). "Checklist of the birds of Thailand". United States National Museum Bulletin. 226: 216. https://archive.org/stream/bulletinunitedst2261963unit#page/216/mode/1up/search/amandava ↩

  21. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 348. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/14481549 ↩

  22. Baker ECS (1926). Fauna of British India. Birds. Volume 3 (2nd ed.). Taylor and Francis. pp. 95–97. https://archive.org/stream/BakerFbiBirds3/BakerFBI3#page/n116/mode/1up/ ↩

  23. De Lope F.; Guerrero J.; De La Cruz C. (1984). "Une nouvelle espèce à classer parmi les oiseaux de la Péninsule Ibérique: Estrilda (Amandava) amandava L. (Ploceidae, Passeriformes)" [A new species for the Iberian Peninsula: Estrilda (Amandava) amandava L. (Ploceidae, Passeriformes)]. Alauda. 52 (4). ↩

  24. Langham, N.P.E. (1987). "The annual cycle of the Avadavat Amandava amandava in Fiji". Emu. 87 (4): 232–243. Bibcode:1987EmuAO..87..232L. doi:10.1071/MU9870232. /wiki/Bibcode_(identifier) ↩

  25. Nicoll, MJ (1919). Handlist of the birds of Egypt. Government Press, Cairo. p. 30. https://archive.org/stream/handlistofbirdso00nico#page/29/mode/1up ↩

  26. Barre N.; Benito-Espinal E. (1985). "Oiseaux granivores exotiques implantés en Guadeloupe, à Marie-Galante et en Martinique (Antilles françaises)" [Seed eating exotic birds established in Guadeloupe, Marie Galante and in Martinique (French West Indies)]. L'Oiseau et la Revue française d'Ornithologie. 55 (3): 235–241. ↩

  27. Ticehurst, C.B. (1930). "The Amandavat (Aamandava amandava) in Mesopotamia". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 34 (2): 576. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/48296085 ↩

  28. "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Amandava amandava". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. October 2016. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/22719614/94635498 ↩

  29. Evans, SM (1970). "Some factors affecting the flock behaviour of red avadavats (Amandava amandava) with particular reference to clumping". Animal Behaviour. 18 (4): 762–767. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(70)90025-4. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  30. Sparks, J.H. (1964). "Flock structure of the Red Avadavat with particular references to clumping and allopreening". J. Anim. Behaviour. 12: 125–126. doi:10.1016/0003-3472(64)90113-7. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  31. Ali S & SD Ripley (1999). Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan. Vol. 10 (2nd ed.). Oxford University Press. pp. 106–108. ↩

  32. Sparks, John H. (1965). "On the role of allopreening invitation behaviour in reducing aggression among red avadavats, with comments on its evolution in the Spermestidae". Journal of Zoology. 145 (3): 387–403. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1965.tb02024.x. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  33. Inglis, CM (1910). "Note on the Spotted Munia (Uroloncha punctulata) and the Indian Red Munia (Sporaeginthus amandava)". J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 20 (2): 517–518. https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30166718 ↩

  34. Hume, AO (1890). The Nests and Eggs of Indian Birds. Vol. 2. London: R.H. Porter. pp. 147–149. https://archive.org/stream/nestseggsofindia02humerich#page/147/mode/1up/search/amandava ↩

  35. Thapliyal, JP & BBP Gupta (1984). "Thyroid and annual gonad development, body weight, plumage pigmentation, and bill color cycles of Lal Munia, Estrilda amandava". Gen. Comp. Endocrinology. 55 (1): 20–28. doi:10.1016/0016-6480(84)90124-2. PMID 6745630. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  36. Subramanian, P & R Subbaraj (1989). "Seasonal changes in the timing of hopping and feeding activities of a tropical bird (Estrilda amandava) under natural photoperiod". Proc. Indian Acad. Sci. (Anim. Sci.). 98 (2): 89–93. doi:10.1007/BF03179631. S2CID 83953707. https://archive.org/stream/indidanacademyof020238mbp#page/n95/mode/1up ↩

  37. Gupta, N.; Kumar, S.; Saxena, A.K. (2007). "Prevalence and population structure of lice (Phthiraptera) on the Indian Red Avadavat". Zoological Science. 24 (4): 381–383. doi:10.2108/zsj.24.000. PMID 17867828. S2CID 19494524. /wiki/Doi_(identifier) ↩

  38. Matsuoka, Y; H Kida & R Yanagawa (1980). "A new paramyxovirus isolated from an Amaduvade Finch (Estrilda amandava)". Jpn. J. Vet. Sci. 42 (2): 161–167. doi:10.1292/jvms1939.42.161. PMID 7382234. https://doi.org/10.1292%2Fjvms1939.42.161 ↩

  39. Rékási, J. & Saxena, A. K. (2005). "A new Phthiraptera species (Philopteridae) from the Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava)" (PDF). Aquila. 112: 87–93. http://phthiraptera.info/Publications/46267.pdf ↩

  40. Round, Philip & Gardner, Dana. (2008). Birds of the Bangkok Area. ↩

  41. Gilbert, Martin; Sokha, Chea; Joyner, Priscilla H.; Thomson, Robert L.; Poole, Colin (September 2012). "Characterizing the trade of wild birds for merit release in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and associated risks to health and ecology". Biological Conservation. 153: 10–16. Bibcode:2012BCons.153...10G. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2012.04.024. https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0006320712002066 ↩