Red Avadavat

Male Red Avadavat (With Breeding Plumage)

Introduction of Red Avadavat

     Red Avadavat (Scientific name: Amandava amandava) also known as Red munia or Strawberry finch, is a sparrow-sized bird and is popular as a cage bird due to the colourful plumage of the males in their breeding season. It belongs to the family Estrildidae. These birds were exported long before From the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India hence The species name of amandava and the common name of avadavat are derived.

How to Identify Red Avadavat

   Red avadavats are about 3 to 4 inches long. Males look like females during non breeding season. The color of the underpart ranges from a creamy tan to creamy yellow and there are black streaks under the eyes. The crown, back, wings and tail are dark brown with fewer white spots than males in breeding season. During non breeding season, the male can be distinguished by the white spots on his uppertail coverts. Female's uppertail coverts remain unspotted or only have a few small indistinct white spots.
    During the breeding season males have a deep red crown and back, and there are white streaks under the eyes. The sides of the head, down the breast and the undersides are scarlet. The wings, tail overfeathers, and flanks are dark red with white spots. Feathers of tail are black and underside of the tail feathers are edged in white. The beaks of the males are red. Into the breeding season the chest and underbelly of female become a brighter yellow-orange.
    Juveniles of this species are dull grayish brown all over. They have two pale wing bars due to buff-colored feather tips on their median and greater wing coverts.This is the first molt from the nestling stage. Nestlings are marked by dark skin and down, and have markings around the mouth.The beak is black which turns pink as they mature.

Habits and Habitats

     Red avadavats are found in the open fields and grasslands of tropical Asia such as sugarcane fields, gardens, marshes, medows and areas near bodies of water. Red avadavats are accustomed to tropical temperatures and it lose  intensity of plumage color in cool or dry environments.
    Red avadavats stay in large groups during the non-breeding season. They move their tails from side to side and at a down angle when they are alarmed and use a shrill call to warn other group members.
    Males and females when make pair during breeding season show aggression towards other pairs. Red avadavats can perch upright between two vertical posts as they have a large grip and have ability to extend the legs in opposite directions.

Distribution
    Red avadavats are found throughout southern and southeastern Asia, from India to the Malay Peninsula and surrounding islands.
It has three sub-species
   A. a. amandava - This subspecies is found in Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Pakistan;
   A. a. flavidiventris - This subspecies is more reddish-orange on his underpart when in breeding plumage, with a pale orange belly and lacks black on the lower belly. It is found in South-West China, Myanmar and Lesser Sunda Islands,
  A. a. punicea - This subspecies is slightly brighter. It  has smaller white spots and has a reduced or absent black lore. It is found in South-East Thialand, South-East Kampuchea, South-East China, Vietnam, Java and Bali.

Food 
    Red avadavats feed on a variety of food sources. In captivity red avadavats prefer seeds from sprouting millet. When feeding young, they prefer ant larvae and pupae, centipedes and caterpillars. They collect food mainly from ground.

Call
    Red avadavats have long vocalizations used as location calls. Females have a shorter, softer version of the call. When red avadavats are displaying aggressive behaviors they will use a shrill call. A higher pitched call is used when members of the species perceive danger to their young. Young learn songs from their fathers while in the nest.

Female Red Avadavat

Breeding and Nesting

    Breeding season occur from January to April though it varies regionally.At the start of the breeding season, males change their plumage from brown to red.  During courtship, male red avadavats use their bright red plumage in addition to a mating dance to attract females. Males dance with a grass stem or feather in their mouth.They deeply bow with feathers erect. Usually the birds sing and hop between bows. Both males and females use voclizations during mating display.
    When the birds have paired, they separate from the larger group to build a nest. Red avadavats are monogamous within a breeding season.
     Both males and females participate to make a nest. Globular Nests are made of grass and sticks and is lined with soft feathers, cotton and grass. Number of eggs are between 4 to 6 in a clutch. The incubation period of eggs are around 11 days. Fledging period is around 20 days.
    The eggs are incubated by both parents during the day. But Females only hatch at night. Both parents feed nestlings. Males  take responsibility of feeding the young if females produce another clutch before the first set of young are able to care for themselves.