Black-Rumped (Red-Eared) Waxbill Male

The common waxbill (Estrilda astrild), also known as the St Helena waxbill, is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced to many other regions of the world and now has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km². It is popular and easy to keep in captivity.

Favorite foods

Small-grained millets, weed seeds, sprouted seed, greens (spinach, dandelion, chickweed, etc.), insects (ant pupae, green aphids, fruit flies).

Natural habitat

In dry steppes, semi-arid open country with thorn scrub, in the bushes of open grasslands, woodland; may also inhabit brush alongside rivers, marshes, swamp.

Habits

These are very agile birds. They feed on grass seeds and on the ground and can catch insects mid-flight. Allopreening is common. Wild birds live in pairs, small groups, or occasionally large flocks, and may be seen with other waxbill species. Pair bonds may loosen during the non-breeding season, leading to pairing with new partners for subsequent breedings.