Southern Cordonbleu Uraeginthus angolensis Scientific name definitions

12–13 cm; 6·3-13 g. Male nominate race has crown to back and upper­wing grey-brown, primary P9 broad near tip, rump, uppertail-coverts and long pointed tail blue; face, throat and breast to flanks light turquoise to light cerulean blue, centre of belly to vent and undertail-coverts buffy white; iris dark brown, eyering pale blue; bill pale grey to pale violet-blue, blackish cutting edges and tip; legs greyish-pink. Female is similar to male, but blue colour paler, blue below also less extensive, confined to face and chin to centre of breast. Juvenile is similar to female, but blue paler and less extensive on breast, young male with more blue than female, both with bill black. Race niassensis has upperparts darker brown and underparts brighter, darker blue, than nominate, female extensively blue on breast and flanks (much as male); cyanopleurus is intermediate in plumage between previous and nominate.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

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.

Acacia (Acacia) woodland and thickets, rank growth, overgrown cultivation, around rural settlements and gardens, near surface water. In Zambia at 330–1800 m, once to 2150 m on Nyika Plateau; in Malawi 40–1700 m, in Zimbabwe rarely to 1400 m.

Resident; some local movements.

Mostly small grass seeds, also some insects and spiders (Araneae). Foods in N South Africa mainly seeds of Panicum, Urochloa, Digitaria, Sporobolus and Eragrostis, in Zambia seeds of Echinochloa, Setaria, Urochloa and Panicum; in austral winter in South Africa takes seeds of prostate herbs and small fleshy fruits. Takes small grass seeds from ground, on bare soil and in dry leaves, by pecking and sweeping with the bill; also takes growing seeds on inflorescences as it flies to grass-head and forces it to ground, and perches on upright grass and takes seeds from heads. Removes husks by rolling seed between edges of bill with tongue. Takes termites (Isoptera) on ground when exposed or concealed under surface, caterpillars on ground under camelthorn trees (Acacia eriloba). Forages usually in pairs and in family parties, sometimes in groups or larger flocks; often associates with other estrildids.

Close contact call a brief, soft "swip swip"; distance contact call and flight call 1–3 loud, sibilant, high-pitched (6–7 kHz) rising whistles, "chee-chee-chee"; alarm a rapid chatter (18–20 notes per second). Song a series of short slurred whistles and sibilant and harsh notes, varies regionally and individually: in N South Africa described as "chreu chreu chittywoo weeoo wee…"; in Zambia, song at Lochinvar National Park introduced by short "tik" note (like begging note of nestling) and low buzzy whistle, followed by short rising or falling whistles, sometimes ending with distance contact call "chee", song at Lusaka begins with single harsh note, followed by 4 short notes, and ends with long upslurred whistle, "zhweep…pu-ti-tee-tiwooooy". Songs similar to those of U. bengalus. Female song, given when partners separated, is shorter, variable, with emphasis on repeated low two-tone whistle, and ending in chatter.

Season Feb–May in Tanzania, Feb–Jun in DRCongo (Katanga), Dec–Jun (mainly Jan–Apr) in Zambia, Dec–May in Malawi, mainly Dec–Apr (but Aug–Nov in W) in Zimbabwe; in N South Africa (former Transvaal) Jan–Jun, locally from 2 months after first rains (when grass has sprouted, seed developed on grass-heads and termites abundant). Courting male faces female, raises head, holding tip of feather in bill, the bill and feather pointing upwards, jerks head up and down, waving feather over head, after this "feather-flagging" he perches, with plumage sleeked, near female, angles tail and head towards her, and bounces up and down, stretching and flexing legs (legs may leave perch, and tap on contact with perch). Nest a ball with side entrance, made from grass-heads and stems, lined with fine grass or feathers, built 1–4 m above ground in thorn bush or tree; often built near active wasp (Hymenoptera) nest (wasps may signal absence of arboreal ants); sometimes uses old covered nest of other bird, adding feathers to lining. Clutch usually 3–5 eggs; incubation period 13–14 days; hatchling has skin light pink with light yellowish-brown to grey down, gape with inconspicuous oval blue-black swelling on upper mandible and black border inside mouth, gape corner with narrow greyish-white band, and black bill edge with slight swelling on lower mandible, white palate grading to pinkish in front and pale bluish behind, whitish area has three black spots, inner bill tip has two large black spots, inner mouth black, tongue pale pink with black ring and bluish-grey tip, lining of lower mouth whitish with black crescent (by time when contour feathers erupt, skin is blackish, and by fledging the edge of gape is paler, upper swelling more blue than black, lateral palate and inner mouth black, tongue tip pale grey); nestling period 17–19 days. Nest occasionally parasitized by Shaft-tailed Whydah (Vidua regia).

Not globally threatened. Common to fairly common in most of range. In South Africa, density c. 0·25-0·75 pairs/ha in open Acacia-Dichrostachys brush on Nyl floodplain (Limpopo); densities of 70, 278, 389 and 754 birds/km² in acacia savannas in Swaziland. Common in São Tomé, where possibly introduced.