Kweche

Kweche
Kweche mtama
Uainishaji wa kisayansi
Himaya: Animalia (Wanyama) Faila: Chordata (Wanyama wenye ugwe wa neva mgongoni) Ngeli: Aves (Ndege) Oda: Passeriformes (Ndege kama shomoro) Familia ya juu: Passeroidea (Ndege kama shomoro) Familia: Ploceidae (Ndege walio na mnasaba na kwera) Jenasi: Euplectes Swainson, 1829
Ngazi za chini
Spishi 17: E. afer (Gmelin, 1789) E. albonotatus (Cassin, 1848) E. ardens (Boddaert, 1783) E. aureus (Gmelin, 1789) E. axillaris (A. Smith, 1838) E. capensis (Linnaeus, 1766) E. diadematus Fischer & Reichenow, 1878 E. franciscanus (Isert, 1789) E. gierowii Cabanis, 1880 E. hartlaubi (Bocage, 1878) E. hordeaceus (Linnaeus, 1758) E. jacksoni (Sharpe, 1891) E. macrourua (Gmelin, 1789) E. nigroventris Cassin, 1848 E. orix Linnaeus, 1758 E. progne Boddaert, 1783 E. psammocromius Reichenow, 1900

Kweche ni ndege wadogo wa jenasi Euplectes katika familia Ploceidae ambao wanatokea Afrika. Kuna makundi mawili ya kweche. Ndege wa kundi moja (bishops) ni wadogo kwa kulinganisha na madume wana mkia mfupi wakati wa kuzaa. Wakati huo rangi za madume ni nyeusi na nyekundu, machungwa au njano. Ndege wa kundi jingine (widowbirds) ni wakubwa zaidi na madume wana mkia mrefu wakati wa kuzaa. Wakati huo rangi za madume ni nyeusi kwa kiasi kikubwa pamoja na sehemu zenye rangi nyingi kama nyeupe, nyekundu na njano.

Ndege hawa hula mbegu hasa lakini wadudu pia, hususa makinda. Hulifuma tago lao kwa manyasi katikati ya matete. Matago yao hupatikana katika makundi. Dume hufanya mruko wa kukoga ili kubembeleza jike akitimua manyoya yake (bishops) au akitandaza mkia wake (widowbirds). Jike huyataga mayai 2-4.

Spishi

• Euplectes afer, Kweche Kichwa-njano (Yellow-crowned Bishop)
• Euplectes albonotatus, Kweche Mabawa-meupe (White-winged Widowbird)
• Euplectes ardens, Kweche Kisogo-chekundu (Red-collared Widowbird)
• Euplectes aureus, Kweche Mgongo-dhahabu (Golden-backed Bishop)
• Euplectes axilaris, Kweche Mkia-mpana (Fan-tailed Widowbird)
• Euplectes capensis, Kweche Manjano au Fire (Yellow Bishop)
• Euplectes diadematus, Kweche Paji-jekundu (Fire-fronted Bishop)
• Euplectes franciscanus, Kweche Machungwa (Northern Red Bishop)
• Euplectes gierowii, Kweche Mweusi (Black Bishop)
• Euplectes hartlaubi, Kweche-bwawa (Marsh Widowbird)
• Euplectes hordeaceus, Kweche Mtama au Chekechea (Black-winged Red Bishop)
• Euplectes jacksoni, Kweche-wanda (Jackson's Widowbird)
• Euplectes macrourus, Kweche Mgongo-njano (Yellow-mantled Widowbird)
• Euplectes nigroventris, Kweche-pwani (Zanzibar Red Bishop)
• Euplectes orix, Kweche Mwekundu (Southern Red Bishop)
• Euplectes progne, Kweche Mkia-mrefu (Long-tailed Widowbird)
• Euplectes psammocromius, Kweche-milima (Montane au Mountain Marsh Widowbird)

Picha

• 
  Kweche kichwa-njano
• 
  Kweche mabawa-meupe
• 
  Kweche kisogo-chekundu
• 
  Kweche Mkia-mpana
• 
  Kweche manjano
• 
  Kweche machungwa
• 
  Kweche mweusi
• 
  Kweche-bwawa
• 
  Kweche-wanda
• 
  Kweche mgongo-njano
• 
  Kweche-pwani
• 
  Kweche mwekundu
• 
  Kweche mkia-mrefu
• 
  Kweche-milima