I
T H E CRIMSON-WINGED FINCH.
Pytclia phcenicoptcra, SwAINS.
' ' J ^ H I S Astrild ranges from Senegambia to the regions of the Upper Nile and
Equatorial Africa.
The upper surface is vinous-brown, slightly redder on the shoulders; lower
back and upper tail-coverts deep crimson; lesser wing-coverts brighter; median
and greater coverts greyish-brown, with red edges; flight feathers brown, edged
(with the. exception of the inner secondaries) with dull red; central tail-feathers
deep crimson, remaining feathers blackish with crimson outer margins ; head rather
greyer than the back, the throat with narrow transverse whitish lines, remainder
of under surface pale grejf, barred with white, most distinctly on the abdomen ;
vent white; sides of bod3', flanks and thighs dull brown, barred with white; under
tail-coverts somewhat similar; under wing-coverts and axillaries white; the edge
of the mn g red; flights duskj- below, with greyish inner edges. Length inches;
beak black ; legs pale brown; iris red.
Dr. Russ says of this, which he calls the " Aurora-Astrild " ;—"As it is one
of the most exquisite, so also again is it one of the rarest Ornamental Finches.
I therefore congratitlate myself so much the more that I first bred even it in 1873
in my Bird-room.
"Home Central and West Africa; always only in small companies; it will
therefore never be abundant in the Bird-trade. Its wild life unknown. I received
the first pair from Carl Hagenbeck in 1870, and years after, two head again.
" T r a n q u i l in the Bird-room; delight in open sunm- spots, are peaceful. A pair
s i t t i ng at mid-day by the window in the sun, represents a ravishingly beautiful
picture, especially the male with his comical love sport; he hops round the female
excitedl}- curtsejdng with the tail raised high up, until as if dancing they draw
near to one another, both at the time calling out a monosjdlabic and tolerably
shrill tsit, tsit.
" The song, single melodious flute-sounds.
The Crimson-winged Finch. 159
'•Nest in little Hartz-cage in the densest bush, over-arched, but not very
artistic. Laying:—four eggs; duration of incubation twelve daj'S. Young phmiage
dull blackish blue-grey, transversel}' waved on the under surface ; shoulders,
margins of wings, croup and tail dull red ; beak hom-grey, legs blackish. Change
of colour gradual and slow; the red stronger, the grey of the front of the body
showing up more clearly; the lower body grows brighter and the dark waved lines
come up more strongly. More recently imported, occasionally, in several pairs."
Dr. C. S. Simpson writes:—"The Aurora Finch is a harmless and somewhat
stolid bird. I don't know why it is called the Crimson-wing ' Wa x b i l l ' : it is
certainl}' quite diiierent in appearance from any of the other Waxbills, being a
stout bird with a short tail and black beak, I have had one, a cock, for about
two years, but I have never been able to get a hen. It appears to be partially
insectivorous, and is very fond of fresh ant's eggs. It is not a very interesting
bird."
Respecting the habits of the Crimson-wing in a wild state next to nothing
seems to be known; but Von Heuglin sa3's it is a resident bird in Bongo, and
occurs here and there in pairs in tall forest and scrub.
Mr. Wiener says:—"In the London Zoological Gardens the first Crimsonwinged
Waxbills were received in 1874. I have had them before that date more
than once, and Dr. Russ had one bird of this species in 1870. Dr. Russ succeeded
in breeding the Crimson-winged Waxbill, and in my aviarj' one pair built a nest
and laid four eggs late in autumn, which nest I had nnfortunatel}' to destroy.
Whilst Dr. Russ found his Pytelia phcenicoptcra building their nest in a nest-box,
mine built theirs in a rather artistic manner in the sunniest part of their summer
aviary in a bush. Cold weather coming on, I was obliged to shut the birds into
their winter quarters and to separate them from their pretty little nest and four
pure white eggs."
No additional information of importance is given in Dr. Russ' larger book
on Foreign Cage-birds.
Illustration from skin in the Natural Historv Museum.
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