Quailfinch Ortygospiza atricollis Scientific name definitions

9–10 cm; 9–12·4 g (nominate). Male nominate race is grey-brown above, tail and upperwing brown; face black, small white crescent on chin, incomplete feathered white crescents around eye; throat black, upper breast and sides grey with black and white barring , lower breast chestnut, belly paler, undertail-coverts whitish with black bars; iris yellowish-brown to dark brown, unfeathered eyering grey; bill red during breeding, black upper mandible in non-breeding season; legs light orange to pinkish-flesh. Female differs from male in having face grey, upper­parts less streaked, sides less barred; iris dark brown. Juvenile is like female but duller, sides indistinctly barred, iris dark brown, bill black. Race ansorgei slightly darker above, with black of face extending onto ear-coverts and upper breast; ugandae differs from nominate in having more extensive white on chin and tawny belly, lores sometimes white; fuscocrissa has conspicuous white spectacles (white broken in centre of lores), upperpart feathers have pale fringes contrasting more noticeably with darker centres, differs from previous in having more white on chin, throat, area around eye and lores, and blacker breast and flanks; <em>muelleri</em> differs from last in having less streaking on back , belly buff; pallida differs from preceding race in paler brown-grey back and whitish belly; digressa differs in darker brown-grey back ; smithersi is darker than previous races, and more heavily streaked above; gabonensis differs from nominate in absence of white around eye, chin and throat, in darker back, and in paler belly, resembles ansorgei but lacks white on head and has streaked back and whitish belly; fuscata differs from last in blackish back, darker chestnut breast and light chestnut belly; dorsostriata differs from gabonensis in occasional white around eye and on chin/throat, less streaking on back, and tawny belly.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Short dry grassland, seasonally wet fields, wet marshy grassland; treeless floodplains, rice fields, airfields, ploughed fields and cultivation, where it nests in dry season. Black-chinned birds generally in wetter grasslands than white-chinned birds. Lowlands and hills; at 1500–2700 m in Ethiopia.

Resident, with some short-distance movement. Seasonal on floodplains and grasslands; in dry season appears in areas where not known to breed.

Small grass seeds, taken on ground; also filamentous algae, taken from water surface (fish-farm ponds in Nigeria); also small insects and spiders (Araneae). Forages alone, in pairs, and in groups of up to 20 individuals.

Call  a harsh, flat metallic "klek" or "klink". Song loud, of harsh irregularly alternating notes in phrases repeated with some variation, "klik klak kooik kluk kluk", continues for several seconds; female songs short and discreet. Same sound elements given in contact calls and rattling flight calls. Loud songs nearly identical across Africa. A soft song, a burbling "gru grie gritty" used in sexual behaviour at close range and at nest, differs little between W African races ansorgei and atricollis and SC African muelleri.

Season Sept–Dec in Senegal and Gambia, Sept–Dec and Feb in Nigeria, Jan–Feb in Cameroon, mainly Jan–Apr in Kenya, Jan–May (white-chinned form) and Feb–Apr (black-chinned form) in Zambia, mainly Jan–Apr in Zimbabwe, and Jan–May in N South Africa. In courtship, male runs on ground, head and front of body held high, in front of female, paces to one side and then to other, in half-circles or behind her, and flutters wings; when she responds and quivers tail, the two copulate; male also has nest display, holds nesting material crossways in bill, body erect (as in courtship run), gives soft song, shows material to female, turns and runs to nest-site, and begins to build. Nest a hollow ball with low side entrance, on ground next to clump of grass or in hollow, built of grass stems and blades and rootlets, lined with finer grasses and seedheads. Clutch 4–6 eggs; incubation period 14 days; nestling (nominate race and muelleri) has pink skin and grey down, gape with rounded pale blue papillae, two on each side of upper mandible and one on lower, each separated by black at base, corner of gape a grey swollen pad (blue papillae and black areas form bold checkerboard pattern on closed mouth), palate pinkish-white to yellowish-white with ring of six black spots (formed by two spots in centre of palate, a lateral spot on each side of it, and two smaller mediolateral spots), race fuscata ("gabonensis group") also has three greenish-blue papillae on each side of gape and a yellowish palate with six black spots; begging chick twists neck down and directs roof of mouth upwards, often raises wing on side away from adult, on both sides if adult in front; nestling period 19–21 days; young independent at 30 days. Brood-parasitized by Quailfinch Indigobird (Vidua nigeriae) in W Africa.

Not globally threatened. Locally common or very common to uncommon; rare in Mauritania. Population in S Mozambique estimated to number a minimum of 50,000 individuals.