- Estrilda atricapilla
Identification
10–10·5 cm (4-4¼ in)
- Black forehead, crown and nape to lores
Distribution
Africa
Western Africa: Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Eastern Africa: Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi
Taxonomy
Has been considered conspecific with Kandt's Waxbill in the past.
Subspecies
There are 3 subspecies[1]:
- E. a. atricapilla:
- E. a. avakubi:
- E. a. marunguensis:
- South-eastern Zaire (Marungu Mountains)
Habitat
Rain forest edges, bracken, grass and marshy clearings, plantations, villages near forests. Seen at heights of 2,510m.
Behaviour
The diet consists of small grass seeds, ants and flying termites. They take the seeds both from the ground and the growing stems.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2016. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2016, with updates to August 2016. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
BF Member observations
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved February 2017)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-headed Waxbill. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 28 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-headed_Waxbill
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
