Amadina Explained

Amadina is a genus of estrildid finches that are found in Africa.

Taxonomy

The genus Amadina was introduced in 1827 by the English naturalist William John Swainson with the cut-throat finch as the type species.^[1] The name Amadina is a corrupted diminutive of the genus name Ammodramus, the genus of several American sparrows. Swainson thought the cut-throat finch formed a link between that genus and the genus Estrilda, and created the name to reflect that linkage.

Species

The genus contains two species:^[2]

Image	Common Name	Scientific name	Distribution
	Cut-throat finch	Amadina fasciata	Sub-Saharan Africa
	Red-headed finch	Amadina erythrocephala	Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Notes and References

1. Swainson . William John . William John Swainson . 1827 . On several groups and forms in ornithology, not hitherto defined . Zoological Journal . 3 . 343–363 [349] .
2. Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . January 2021 . Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits . IOC World Bird List Version 11.1 . International Ornithologists' Union . 10 July 2021 .