Of late some of the more rarer Firefinches have been imported into Britain making it an ideal time for those with experience of regularly breeding the likes of the Red-billed (Lagonisticta senegala) and Dark Firefinches (L. rubricata) to try their hand at establishing these, also, before the opportunity is lost for ever.

One of these rarer Firefinches, the Black-bellied (L. rara), was recently advertised for as little as £20.00 (around $32.00) per pair which, I believe, is excellent value for money. The only trouble is being sold for such a sum is likely to make some enthusiasts, particularly beginners, think that the species is easy to cater for.

There are two races of the Black-bellied Firefinch, whose descriptions are as follows: the overall length is 10 cm (4 in) and the sexes differ. L. r. rara, from northern Cameroon and the Central African Republic to northern Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), southern Sudan, northern Uganda and western Kenya (Malaba, Bungoma, Busia, Mumias, Kakamega and Siaya districts), has the entire upperparts, including the face, chin and throat deep mauvish wine-red. The breast and flanks, which have no white spots, are very dark mauve-pink. The lores and immediately around the eyes is slightly darker and a less mauvish shade of red, with the rump and upper tail coverts normally a touch brighter than the back. The wings, which have the outermost primary slightly emarginated, are dark dull brown, except for faint wine-red fringes to the lesser and median coverts. The underwing coverts and much of the undersides of the primaries are silvery buff. The tail is black with some wine-red on the fringes of the central feathers. The centre of the extreme lower breast, the belly and the under tail coverts are black. The irides are dark brown to blackish. The eye rims are greyish. The bill has the upper mandible black and the lower mandible mainly pink, red or whitish from the base, with the remainder black. The legs and feet are slate grey to blackish.

The female, apart from a dark wine-red loral stripe from the bill to the eye and a paler, brownish grey to a buffish throat, has the head, nape and hind neck of a dark and slightly brownish grey. The mantle and back are dull earth brown, usually heavily washed with dull wine-red, and shading to a wine-red rump and upper tail coverts. The wings are not quite as dark as the male's, otherwise they are similar. The tail is as the male's but of a less intense, browner, black. The breast and flanks are a dull, but light, pinkish carmine, occasionally washed with buff. The centre of the lower breast and belly are buff, becoming dull black on the ventral area and under tail coverts. The juveniles are dull brown, paler on the bellies and buffish on the under tail coverts. The upper tail coverts are dull carmine. Male juveniles may have the brown parts suffused with dull red.

L. r. forbesi, from Sierra Leone, southern Guinea east to Ghana and possibly central and northern Nigeria, is a lot brighter, with the red parts of the plumage being of a warm, rich crimson and the wing coverts and inner secondaries widely edged with red on the back. The underparts are of a more intense black. The female has a dark greyish, not buff, belly and has more of a red suffusion on the back. The rump and upper tail coverts are of a brighter red than that found in the nominate female.

In the field the Black-bellied Firefinch appears similar to other Firefinches but, when close up, the male can be distinguished by its red mantle and back from all species except L. senegala, which is smaller, a lighter red and has the sides of its breast spotted. Close up the female can be distinguished from most other female Firefinches by its reddish back, grey head and partly pink lower mandible.

The song of the species is variable, consisting of three distinct strophes: four or five low-pitched plaintive peeeh notes come first, then a Greenfinch-like trilling of variable length, followed by a whistling tyee-tyee-tyee or tew-tew-tew, similar to that of L. rubricata. The alarm call has been described as a repeated sharp chek, chew or tseeay. The contact call is a single, somewhat nasal keeyh or squeer. The nest call is a soft tya-tya-tya.

It is found at 750-1750 m., inhabiting savanna, tall moist grassland, tall grass and herbage in wooded and bushed areas, in cultivated areas and farmland. Birds are normally spotted in pairs or small parties during the breeding season, otherwise in small flocks, often in the company of the Dark Firefinch. Foraging is largely undertaken on the ground in the search for small seeds, but it is also recorded taking insects, particularly worker and winged termites.

The courtship display is recorded as being preceded by the male flying undulatingly to and fro with a nesting symbol in his bill, such as a stem of grass or a feather, and who then hops around the female on the ground, his head held obliquely upwards with the symbol still in his bill, and his spread tail dragging along the ground. The female is said to respond by quivering her tail, but is also believed to respond by hopping in a similar manner to the male. It is not known if copulation immediately follows this display.

The nest is spherical and loosely-built of grass seed-heads, and sometimes also rootlets or other vegetable fibres, and lined with feathers. It is usually constructed low down in a tuft of grass, but may also be found in a shrub, tree or in the thatch of a hut. Eggs average 3-4 and are typically incubated by both parents. The young are fed primarily insects.

Breeding has been recorded from September to November (inclusive) in the Central African Republic and northern Democratic Republic of Congo, from August to November in south-eastern Sudan, and in late July and early October in Nigeria. The species is a brood host to the Variable Indigobird, Vidua funerea.

The Black-bellied Firefinch was first bred in Britain by Sir Richard Cotterel, in 1961, but like so many other early successes with a variety of species, breeders did not take advantage. The temperature for this species should never be allowed to fall much lower than 20 deg C (68 F.), otherwise it becomes noticeably less active and quickly succumbs to the cold. Individuals vary as to aggression and therefore a careful watch needs to be had if it is housed in a mixed collection.

Breeding is very uncommon, the best results being obtained in thickly planted aviaries but with some open spaces as the species likes to spend most of its time on the ground. Plant fibres, grass and feathers are essential as building materials. Survival of the young is critical during the first week and plenty of livefood, primarily small insects, spiders and ant pupae, must be available to the parents. Sprouted seeds are also accepted. The species is also known as the Black-billed Firefinch.

 Copyright 1999 by Ian Hinze