Alice Joan
Next stop: fashion week.
This charming bird’s feathers look like they have been plucked straight out of a 50’s wardrobe.
The bird is so beautiful it is hard to believe it’s real – like something out of a fairy tale.
This bird comes from the finch family Estrildidae. It is also named the hypargos margaritatus, which has a literal translation of “a small monster with a hundred pearly eyes”.
With a plump and rounded shape and polka-dotted belly, they are not unlike other twinspots, but it is the pretty pink feathers around its face that distinguishes it from other birds.
The female does not have the same pink colouring, despite sharing the same name.
Their feathers are browner in tone, but still, maintain the distinct polka-dotted underpart.
They are mainly found in South Africa, and feed on grass seeds.
