Fodies are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Foudia in the weaver family Ploceidae. They are found on islands in the western Indian Ocean.
Taxonomy The genus Foudia was introduced in 1850 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach. The name is derived from the Malagasy word for the red fody. Reichenbach did not specify the type species but in 1855 the English zoologist George Gray designated the type as Loxia madagascariensis Linnaeus, 1766, the red fody.
Description The birds are long and have short, conical bills. Males in breeding plumage are usually colourful with bright red or yellow on the head and sometimes elsewhere. Non-breeding males and females are dull, sparrow-like birds with mostly grey-brown plumage.
Fodies are typically found in forest, woodland or scrubland but some also occur in man-made habitats, especially the red fody. Some species feed mainly on seeds while others are largely insectivorous. Fodies build a dome-shaped nest of grass and other plant material. It has a side-opening and it is suspended from a branch or palm leaf.
Distribution They are native to the islands of the western Indian Ocean where they occur on Madagascar, the Seychelles, the Comoro Islands and the Mascarene Islands. The red fody has also been introduced to the Chagos Archipelago, Bahrain and Saint Helena. While the red fody is one of the most common birds of the region, several of the other fodies are considered to be threatened, particularly the Mauritius fody which is classed as endangered.
Species list The genus contains seven extant species, and one extinct species:
Image Common name Scientific name Distribution Status Red fody or Madagascar fody Foudia madagascariensis Madagascar Least Concern Comoros fody or red-headed fody Foudia eminentissima Comoros, Mayotte and Seychelles Least Concern Aldabra fody Foudia aldabrana Aldabra Island Vulnerable Forest fody Foudia omissa Madagascar. Least Concern Mauritius fody Foudia rubra Mauritius Endangered Seychelles fody Foudia sechellarumSeychelles islands of Cousin Island, Cousine Island, Frégate Island Near Threatened Rodrigues fody Foudia flavicansMauritius EndangeredRéunion fodyFoudia delloniRéunionExtinct (1672) References
Sources
Sinclair, Ian & Langrand, Olivier (1998) Birds of the Indian Ocean Islands, Struik, Cape Town. Skerrett, Adrian; Bullock, Ian & Disley, Tony (2001) Birds of Seychelles, Christopher Helm, London.