Quelea
Quelea | |
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Quelea quelea | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Aves |
Order: | Passeriformes |
Family: | Ploceidae |
Genus: | Quelea L. Reichenbach, 1850 |
Species | |
Quelea /ˈkwiliə/ is an anatomically small genus of passerine birds that belongs to the weaver family Ploceidae, confined to Africa. These are small-sized, sparrow- or finch-like gregarious birds, with bills adapted to eating seeds. Queleas may be nomadic over vast ranges; the red-billed quelea is said to be the most numerous bird species in the world.[1]
Taxonomy
There are three species:
![](../I/m/Quelea_erythrops_-South_Africa_-building_nest-8.jpg)
A male red-headed quelea building a nest in South Africa
![](../I/m/Red-billed_Quelea.jpg)
A flock of red-billed queleas
- Cardinal quelea, Quelea cardinalis
- Red-headed quelea, Quelea erythrops
- Red-billed quelea, Quelea quelea
References
- ↑ Sekercioglu, Cagan Hakki (2006). "Foreword". In Josep del Hoyo, Andrew Elliott & David Christie (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World, Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. p. 48. ISBN 84-96553-06-X.
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