Fody

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Fodies
Red Fody on Praslin.JPG
Male red fody in breeding plumage
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Ploceidae
Genus: Foudia
Reichenbach, 1850
Type species
Loxia madagascariensis [1]
Linnaeus, 1766
Species

see text

Fodies are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Foudia in the weaver family Ploceidae.

Contents

Description

The birds are 12 to 15 centimetres (4.7 to 5.9 in) long and have short, conical bills. Males in breeding plumage are usually colourful with bright red or yellow on the head and sometimes elsewhere. Non-breeding males and females are dull, sparrow-like birds with mostly grey-brown plumage.

Fodies are typically found in forest, woodland or scrubland but some also occur in man-made habitats, especially the red fody. Some species feed mainly on seeds while others are largely insectivorous. Fodies build a dome-shaped nest of grass and other plant material. It has a side-opening and it is suspended from a branch or palm leaf.

The genus was introduced by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach in 1850. [2] The type species was subsequently designated as the red fody. [3]

Species list

The genus contains eight species: [4]

ImageCommon nameScientific nameDistribution
Madagascar fody (Foudia madagascariensis).jpg Red fody or Madagascar fodyFoudia madagascariensisMadagascar
Comoros fody or red-headed fodyFoudia eminentissimaComoros, Mayotte and Seychelles
Aldabra fody Foudia aldabranaAldabra Island
Forest Fody. Foudia omissa.jpg Forest fody Foudia omissaMadagascar.
Mauritius Fody 2013.JPG Mauritius fody Foudia rubraMauritius
Seychelles fody Foudia sechellarumSeychelles islands of Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Frégate Island
Rodrigues fody Foudia flavicansMauritius
Réunion fody Foudia delloniRéunion.

Distribution

They are native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where they occur on Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comoro Islands and the Mascarene Islands. The red fody has also been introduced to the Chagos Archipelago, Bahrain and Saint Helena. While the red fody is one of the most common birds of the region, several of the other fodies are considered to be threatened, particularly the Mauritius fody which is classed as endangered.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aldabra fody</span> Species of bird

The Aldabra fody is a passerine bird in the family Ploceidae. It is endemic to Aldabra, an atoll northwest of Madagascar, part of Seychelles. Regarded as conspecific with the Comoros fody in the past, it is now recognized as a distinct species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Both sexes are yellow in color across much of the body, with breeding males orange-scarlet on the head and neck. The species has a large and powerful bill, used to compete with other birds of Aldabra for food. Nesting occurs over several months, often in introduced coconut palms and Casuarina trees. The Aldabra fody is considered endangered by the IUCN, threatened by predation of nests and drought. Hybridization with the related Madagascar fody has occurred in the past, but is not currently considered a danger to the species.

References

  1. "Ploceidae". aviansystematics.org. The Trust for Avian Systematics. Retrieved 2023-07-16.
  2. Reichenbach, Ludwig (1850). Avium Systema Naturale. Das natürliche System der Vögel. Dresden: Expedition der Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. Plate 79.
  3. Mayr, Ernst; Greenway, James C. Jr, eds. (1962). Check-list of birds of the world. Vol. 15. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 62.
  4. Gill, Frank; Donsker, David, eds. (2018). "Old World sparrows, snowfinches, weavers". World Bird List Version 8.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 5 May 2018.

Sources