About the Common Waxbill
The common waxbill, 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.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
ID tip
It is a small bird, 9.5–13 centimetres (3.7–5.1 in) long and weighing 6–11 g (0.21–0.39 oz). It has a slender body with short rounded wings and a long graduated tail. The bright red bill of the adult is the colour of sealing wax giving the bird its name. The plumage is mostly grey-brown, finely barred with dark brown. There is a red stripe through the eye and the cheeks and throat are whitish. There is often a pinkish flush to the underparts and a reddish stripe along the centre of the belly depending on the subspecies. The rump is brown and the tail and vent are dark.
Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
What the Common Waxbill sounds like
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in France, Israel, Belgium, United Kingdom, Côte d’Ivoire, Argentina, Bahrain, Italy.
When to see it
Peak activity in October · a resident species across most of its range
Easily confused with
Orange-cheeked WaxbillEstrilda melpodaThe orange-cheeked waxbill is a common species of estrildid finch native to western and central Africa, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 3,600,000 km2.
Black-crowned WaxbillEstrilda nonnulaThe black-crowned waxbill is a common species of estrildid finch found in western-central Africa.
Black-rumped WaxbillEstrilda troglodytesThe black-rumped waxbill is a common species of estrildid finch found in Southern Africa.
Learn the Common Waxbill for real
BeakBrain drills you on photos and calls until you can greet this bird by name in the field. Free to play, on any device.
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