Red-faced crimsonwing
Cryptospiza reichenovii
Avilumen editorial team ·
The red-faced crimsonwing is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 390,000 km2.
The red-faced crimsonwing (Cryptospiza reichenovii) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 390,000 km2.
It is native to subsaharan mountainous regions : Bioko and the Western High Plateau, the Albertine Rift montane forests and east Africa (from northern Tanzania to eastern Zimbabwe).
Taxonomy
The red-faced crimsonwing was formally described in 1874 by the German ornithologist Gustav Hartlaub based on a female specimen that had been collected by Anton Reichenow near Bondongo (Bonjongo) in west Cameroon, West Africa. Hartlaub coined the binomial name Pytelia reichenovii where the specific epithet was chosen to honour the collector. The red-faced crimsonwing is now one of four species placed in the genus Cryptospiza that was introduced in 1884 by the Italian zoologist Tommaso Salvadori.
Three subspecies are recognised:
C. r. reichenovii (Hartlaub, 1874) – southeast Nigeria, Cameroon, northwest Angola and the island of Bioko
C. r. ocularis Sharpe, 1902 – east DR Congo, southwest Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi
C. r. australis Shelley, 1896 – Tanzania to Malawi, east Zimbabwe and west Mozambique
Text adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Cryptospiza
- Conservation status
- Least concern
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Care guide
Canary and Finch Care Guide: Diet, Housing and Breeding
How to care for canaries, zebra finches, Gouldian finches and other finches: diet, flight cage setup, health, song and breeding. A guide for bird keepers.
Read the guide →Illustration gallery
6 illustrations of Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) in different styles, true to its real plumage. Shown watermarked; the art pack includes the high-resolution originals, ready to print.
Watercolor 
Vintage plate 
Ink 
Oil 
Realistic 
Colored pencil
Illustrations based on the photograph by Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa (CC BY 2.0), from Wikimedia Commons.
Digital editions
HD Digital Art Pack — Red-faced crimsonwing
Digital download: 6 high-resolution illustrations of the Red-faced crimsonwing (Cryptospiza reichenovii), print-ready. This is a digital file; no animal or physical item is included.
AI Avatar — Red-faced crimsonwing
Generate an avatar fusing your face with the Red-faced crimsonwing (Cryptospiza reichenovii). Delivered digitally in 8K, watermark-free. Digital product; no animals are sold or brokered.
Instant download. No live birds are sold.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) endangered?
- The IUCN Red List places Cryptospiza reichenovii, commonly known as the Red-faced crimsonwing, in the «Least concern» category. «Least concern» means it is not currently threatened.
- Where does Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) live?
- Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) is found in Africa.
- What family does Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) belong to?
- Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) belongs to the family Estrildidae, in the order Passeriformes.
- What colour is Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing)?
- The plumage of Cryptospiza reichenovii (Red-faced crimsonwing) combines these colours: Grey and Red.
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