Locust finch

Locust finch
File:PaludipasserLocustellaGronvold.jpg
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Estrildidae
Genus:	Paludipasser Neave, 1909
Species:	P. locustella
Binomial name
Paludipasser locustella (Neave, 1909)
Synonyms
Ortygospiza locustella Lynes & Sclater, 1934

The locust finch (Paludipasser locustella) is a species of estrildid finch found in south-east Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Malawi (central region), Mozambique (rare), Zimbabwe (rare) and Botswana. It is sometimes placed in the genus Ortygospiza.

Threats

The locust finch was previously listed as near threatened. However, due to lack of information, it was suggested that it remains widespread and locally common, and there is no evidence of significant declines. The population of this species may have declined for the past few decades due to a series of droughts in the 1980s. It is threatened by the cage-bird trade and loss of marshland habitat, partly due to dry periods.

External links

• BirdLife International species factsheet
• Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds