Common Waxbill - Manu SOP

Scientific Name: Estrilda astrild (Linnaeus, 1758)
Polynesian Names: Vini
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Estrildidae
Category: Introduced Birds
Distribution: Africa (native), Society: Tahiti and Moorea

Apearance and identification

4 inches. Male and female are identical in appearance. It’s a little sparrow with red on the eye patch and the beak. The rest of the body is buff-brown, finely barred with black, the belly is slightly pink. The wings have darker tones. The feathers are black when adult, pink brown when young. The beak is black until the first moult.

Tahiti Monarch

Common White Tern

Rimatara Lorikeet

Red-footed Booby

Pacific Reef-egret

Ultramarine Lorikeet

Blue Lorikeet

Sanderling

Common Waxbill

Pacific Black Duck

Bristle-thighed Curlew

Long-tailed Koel

Wandering Tattler

Great Horned Owl

Swamp Harrier

Red-vented Bulbul

Pacific Golden Plover

Spotless Crake

Tahiti Swallow

Green-backed Heron

Common Myna

Fatu Hiva Monarch

Tahiti Kingfisher

Chattering Kingfisher

Marquesas Kingfisher

Tuamotu Kingfisher

Polynesian Ground-dove

Marquesas Ground-dove

Tuamotu Sandpiper

Nukuhiva Imperial-pigeon

Rock Dove

Crimson-backed Tanager

Silvereye

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin

Red Junglefowl

Red-browed Finch

Zebra Dove

Polynesian Imperial-pigeon

Marquesas Monarch

Lesser Frigatebird

Masked Booby

Brown Booby

Marquesan Swiftlet

Polynesian Swiftlet

Tuamotu Reed-warbler

Marquesan Reed-warbler

Rimatara Reed-warbler

Tahiti Reed-warbler

White-capped Fruit-dove

Atoll Fruit-dove

Makatea Fruit-dove

Grey-green Fruit-dove

Rapa Fruit-dove

Iphis Monarch

White-tailed Tropicbird

Brown Noddy

Black Noddy

Blue Noddy

White-bellied Storl-petrel

Bulwer’s Petrel

Black-winged Petrel

Herald Petrel

Kermadec Petrel

Wedge-tailed Sheawater

Tropical Sheawater

Rapa Sheawater

Christmas Sheawater

Tahiti Petrel

Murphy’s Petrel

Colared Petrel

Phoenix Petrel

Polynesian Storm-petrel

Great Frigatebird

Black-headed Weaver

Moorea Kingfisher

Sooty Tern

Greater Crested Tern

Grey-backed Tern

Red-tailed Tropicbird

Videos

Voice

Originally from Africa and introduced in Hawaii and Tahiti between 1908 and 1919. It is also present in Moorea.

Not studied in Polynesia. The female lays 4-6 eggs and young birds fly at the age of 15 days.

Coastal areas of Tahiti, and mouths of large valleys, it is rather rare in the valley. Gregarious, it often moves in band of several dozen individuals.

“Pee-pee-pee-pee-pee” repeated saccade.

Small seeds of herbaceous plants, insects.

Location: Originally from Africa and introduced in Hawaii and Tahiti between 1908 and 1919. It is also present in Moorea.
Breeding: Not studied in Polynesia. The female lays 4-6 eggs and young birds fly at the age of 15 days.
Habitat: Coastal areas of Tahiti, and mouths of large valleys, it is rather rare in the valley. Gregarious, it often moves in band of several dozen individuals.
Voice: “Pee-pee-pee-pee-pee” repeated saccade.
Food: Small seeds of herbaceous plants, insects.

Ressources

Bibliography

Status and protection

Introduced in French Polynesia. The species is classified as “Least Concern” (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

Texte original de Caroline BLANVILLAIN – Compléments et mise à jour par divers membres de la SOP Manu.