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Plum-headed finch
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Estrildidae
Genus:	Aidemosyne Reichenbach, 1862
Species:	A. modesta
Binomial name
Aidemosyne modesta (Gould, 1837)
Approximate range

The plum-headed finch (Aidemosyne modesta) also known as cherry finch is a common species of estrildid finch found in Australia. It is the only species placed in the genus Aidemosyne. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 100,000 – 1,000,000 km.

Taxonomy

The plum-headed finch was formally described and illustrated in 1837 by the English ornithologist John Gould in his book A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia, and the Adjacent Islands. Gould coined the binomial name Amadina modesta. This species was formerly placed in the genus Neochmia. A molecular phylogenetic study of the Estrildidae published in 2020 found that the genus Neochmia was paraphyletic. In the reorganization to create monophyletic genera, the plum-headed finch was moved to the genus Aidemosyne that had been introduced in 1862 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach. The genus name Aidemosyne is from Ancient Greek aidēmosunē meaning "modesty". The specific epithet modesta is Latin meaning "plain", "modest" or "unassuming". The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.

Description

The plum-headed finch is a robust bird, with a stocky, strong beak and a long tail. It measures some 15 cm long. The scientific name emphasizes the absence of the flamboyant livery typical of many Australian species, as the brown tones predominate in the plumage of this bird; the upper part of the body (nape, back, wings and tail) is in fact a deep brown color, with a tendency to darken on the tail, while the ventral area (cheeks, throat, chest, abdomen and hips) is beige color that turns towards white in the central part of the belly and on the undertail. The bird distinguishes for its fine zebra like colouring, which is white and present on the eyebrows, neck, chest, hips and tail, while on the remiges are two rows of white spots. The beak is black, the legs are flesh-colored and the eyes are dark brown. In the male there are also a rust colored bib and a frontal stain of the same color (often with a brighter color tending to purple red), which in the female are reduced or absent, in any case with a predominance of brown on red; they also have less dense stripes. The female is similar to the male but lacks the male's black chin spot.

Distribution and habitat

It is found in dry savannah and subtropical/tropical (lowland) dry shrubland in Australia.

Behaviour

Breeding

The plum-headed finch breeds mainly from September to January in the south and from August to March in the north. The nest is round, laterally compressed chamber of green grass and is built in thick bushes. Four to six pure white eggs are laid.

Status

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified this species as being of least concern.

References

1. ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Neochmia modesta". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2013.{{cite iucn}}: old-form url (help)
2. Gould, John (1837). A Synopsis of the Birds of Australia, and the Adjacent Islands. London: self. Part 1, Plate 10, Fig 3 and text. For the publication date see: Dickinson, E.C.; Overstreet, L.K.; Dowsett, R.J.; Bruce, M.D. (2011). Priority! The Dating of Scientific Names in Ornithology: a Directory to the literature and its reviewers. Northampton, UK: Aves Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-9568611-1-5.
3. Paynter, Raymond A. Jr, ed. (1968). Check-List of Birds of the World. Vol. 14. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 368.
4. Olsson, Urban; Alström, Per (2020). "A comprehensive phylogeny and taxonomic evaluation of the waxbills (Aves: Estrildidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 146: 106757. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106757.
5. Reichenbach, Ludwig (1862). Die Singvögel als Fortsetzung de vollständigsten Naturgeschichte und zugleich als Central-Atlas für zoologische Gärten und für Thierfreunde. Ein durch zahlreiche illuminirte Abbildungen illustrirtes Handbuch zur richtigten Bestimmung und Pflege der Thiere aller Classen (in German). Dresden and Leipzig: Expedition Vollständigsten Naturgeschichte. p. 14.
6. ^ Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (July 2023). "Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits". IOC World Bird List Version 13.2. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
7. Jobling, James A. (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp. 36, 257. ISBN 978-1-4081-2501-4.

• IUCN Red List least concern species
• Estrildidae
• Birds of Queensland
• Endemic birds of Australia
• Birds described in 1837
• Taxa named by John Gould