Red Fody

Foudia madagascariensis

Breeding males blaze scarlet with a black mask, then molt back to streaky brown. Flame on, flame off. Native to Madagascar.

Population: Abundant and common; not quantified globally, described as one of the most numerous birds in Madagascar and common where introduced
Habitat: Open habitats including forest edges, scrub, savanna, grasslands, cultivated land, and towns/gardens; avoids dense intact forest, mostly below 1,000 m elevation (occasionally to 2,400 m); roosts in bamboo, grasses, reedbeds, sugar cane, and mangroves
Fun fact: Breeding males turn brilliant scarlet-red and weave an intricate globular nest with a side entrance to attract a mate, often building and abandoning several nests before one is chosen.
Range: Endemic (native breeding) to Madagascar, where it is abundant; widely introduced and now established on Réunion, Mauritius, Rodrigues, the Seychelles, Amirantes, Comoros, Saint Helena, and Bahrain (Chagos Archipelago presence carried from first-pass source, not independently reconfirmed this pass)
Diet: Omnivorous: grass and rice seeds, insects (beetles, caterpillars, moths, spiders), fruit, nectar, and household/agricultural scraps such as copra; considered an agricultural pest in rice-growing areas
Size: 0.13 m
Wingspan: 0.19 m
Lifespan: 9 years

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