Black-bellied Seedcracker

The black-bellied seedcracker (Pyrenestes ostrinus) is a bird species of the family Estrildidae. They live in most Central African countries and inhabit tropical rainforest. The species comprises individuals with different physical appearance which are grouped into three categories (small, large and mega bill size). Adults are mainly granivorous but diet preference varies with bill size and food availability. Black-bellied seedcrackers also exhibit very distinctive colorations with bright patches of black and red, making them easy to identify in the field. Overall, little is known about this species apart from its range, but intensive studies are currently looking at bill size variations among individuals and their effects on behaviors. == Taxonomy == Black-bellied seedcracker is one of the 27 African species of finch out of 141 worldwide. They are thought to originate from India and South Asia and would have expanded in Africa over time with continental dynamics and tectonic activities. Finches belong to the family Estrilidae, within the order Passeriformes. They are considered a monophyletic clade, meaning that from an evolutionary perspective, finches in the family Estrilidae constitute all the descendants of a common ancestor. The species was first identified by Vieillot who formerly named it Loxia ostrina in 1805.…