African chaffinch
| African chaffinch | |
|---|---|
| male, Morocco | |
| female, Tunisia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Fringillidae |
| Subfamily: | Fringillinae |
| Genus: | Fringilla |
| Species: | F. spodiogenys |
| Binomial name | |
| Fringilla spodiogenys Bonaparte, 1841 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Fringilla coelebs subsp. spodiogenys | |
The African chaffinch (Fringilla spodiogenys), is a species of passerine bird in the genus Fringilla. This species can be found in southwestern Morocco through Tunisia and into western Libya along the Mediterranean Coast and also has an isolated population in northeastern Libya near the coast. It was formerly considered a subspecies of the Common chaffinch, (Fringilla Coelebs). Its habitat includes deciduous forests and lowlands, and during the nonbreeding season extends its habitat to open areas including weedy fields and olive groves. The African chaffinch is a medium to large finch with an average lifespan of 5.7 years.
The diet of an African chaffinch is similar to a Common chaffinch (Fringilla coelebs), mostly eating small invertebrates and their larvae, as well as flowers, seeds, and buds.