Black-bellied Seedcracker Pyrenestes ostrinus Scientific name definitions

c. 15 cm; male in Cameroon 18·6 g (small morph), 20·9 g (large morph), 29 g (huge morph). Male has head and neck to breast and flanks crimson-red, upperparts , including upperwing, and underparts sooty black, uppertail-coverts, central rectrices and outer edges of lateral rectrices red, rest of tail sooty brown; iris dark brown, swollen "eyelids" above and below eye white; bill thick, variably small, large or huge, black; legs brown. Female has red restricted to most of head and throat, and from rump to tail, with some variable red feather tips on sides of neck, breast and upper flanks; rest of plumage tawny-brown, wing blackish-brown with tawny edges of coverts. Juvenile is like female, but with head colour tawny-brown (not red), uppertail-coverts and uppertail rufous; bill reaches adult size 2 months after fledging.

Watercourses in rainforest and closed woodland, edge of moist evergreen and riparian forest, palm savanna, also moist neglected cultivation e.g. manioc (Manihot esculenta). Lowland and hills; occurs at 700–1400 m in Uganda and 680–1700 m in Zambia. Morphs differ in habitat and ecology; often small-billed and large-billed forms occur in same area, proportions varying with availability and diversity of sedge (Cyperaceae) seeds; huge-billed individuals occur with those two, but also on their own in forest-savanna ecotone areas. In Cameroon, small-billed birds live in clearings with grass and scrub, patches of weeds near streams, and rice fields, large-billed birds in thickets, and huge-billed birds in gallery forest near streams.

Resident.

Seeds, especially those of sedge, sometimes soft white seeds, others hard-shelled; occasionally bits of green leaves, berries, small spiders (Araneae). Some dietary variation according to bill size; for small-billed and large-billed morphs, this dependent on seed abundance. In Cameroon, both small-billed and large-billed individuals take seeds of small-seeded sedge Scleria verrucosa when these abundant; huge-billed individuals take the very hard seeds of Scleria racemosa, using the bill to crack them. Forages on or near ground. Generally in pairs and small groups.

Calls include low "peenk", alarm call "terr". Male has up to seven song themes, none shared with other males, a medley of sweet whistles with chuckles, sharp notes, churrs and sibilant trill, e.g. "pep-tiddly-et, o-tslee-tslee", or "dee-oh-la-dee-day". Female song given infrequently.

Season Aug–Nov (mainly Sept–Oct) and Apr–May, during major and minor rains, in Cameroon; in DRCongo during rains, Dec–Jul and Oct in Itombwe and Jul–Dec in Uele; Feb, Apr–Jul and Nov in Uganda, and Feb–Mar in Zambia. Courting male holds long stem in bill, bobs up and down on perch; also has sexual flight display in which he pursues her at great height in a circle 20–35 m in diameter, the two individuals flapping wings, male singing. Nest built by both sexes, a massive ball-shaped structure with side entrance, made from dry broad strips of leaves of rattan and bamboo, grass, dry leaves, ferns, bark strips and creepers, loosely laid or woven together, lined with few grass tops, placed 1–9 m above ground in tree, bush or bamboo clump. Clutch 3–5 eggs; incubation 16 days; nestling gape with three fleshy balls, top one bright yellow, lower ones whiter to pale yellow, and smaller yellow heart-shaped papilla between middle and lower balls, all bordered black, palate pale with five black spots (posterior pair very small), band around tongue and black crescent on mandible; nestling period 24 days; young can fly immediately on leaving nest, fed by parents for as long as one month.

Not globally threatened. Considered generally uncommon to locally common. Several reports from Ivory Coast, and single report (of two individuals) from Benin, but status in both countries uncertain and confirmation of presence required. A difficult species to observe; possibly more common and more widespread than currently realized.