Amandava

Taxobox
name = " Amandava "


image_width = 240px
image_caption = Male Red Avadavat
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Chordata
classis = Aves
ordo = Passeriformes
familia = Estrildidae
genus = " Amandava "
genus_authority = | genus_authority = Swainson, 1827
subdivision_ranks = species
subdivision = "A. amandava"
"A. formosa"
"A. subflava"

" Amandava " is a genus of the estrildid finches. These birds are found in dense grass or scrub in Africa and South Asia. They are gregarious seed-eaters with short, red bills. In earlier literature, "amadavat" and "amidavad" have been used. [ Newton, A. & H. Gadow. 1896. A dictionary of birds. Black.London. p.11] The name amandava, along with "amadavat" and "amidavad" are all corruptions of Ahmadabad, a city in Gujurat, India from where the first few specimens of the Red Munia "Amandava amandava" were obtained. [Pittie, A. 2004. A dictionary of scientific bird names originating from the Indian region. Buceros 9 (2): p6] The members are:
* Red Avadavat or Red Munia, "Amandava amandava"
* Green Avadavat or Green Munia, "Amandava formosa"
* Zebra Waxbill or Orange-breasted Waxbill, "Amandava subflava"The two avadavats, which are very closely related, are found in tropical South Asia, and the waxbill in Africa. Various members of this genus are sometimes placed in "Sporaeginthus".

Notes

References

*Clement, Harris and Davis, "Finches and Sparrows" ISBN 0-7136-8017-2