Estrildidae – Waxbills, Munias & Allies | Lee's Birdwatching Adventures Plus

White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata) by Nikhil

Also he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree of Lebanon even to the hyssop that springs out of the wall; he spoke also of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish. And men of all nations, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom, came to hear the wisdom of Solomon. (1 Kings 4:33-34 NKJV)

CLASS – AVES, Order – PASSERIFORMES, Family – Estrildidae – Waxbills, Munias & Allies

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Latest I.O.C. Version
Species (141)

Woodhouse’s Antpecker (Parmoptila woodhousei)
Red-fronted Antpecker (Parmoptila rubrifrons)
Jameson’s Antpecker (Parmoptila jamesoni)
White-breasted Nigrita (Nigrita fusconotus)
Chestnut-breasted Nigrita (Nigrita bicolor)
Pale-fronted Nigrita (Nigrita luteifrons)
Grey-headed Nigrita (Nigrita canicapillus)
Shelley’s Oliveback (Nesocharis shelleyi)
White-collared Oliveback (Nesocharis ansorgei)
Grey-headed Oliveback (Nesocharis capistrata)
Red-billed Pytilia (Pytilia lineata)
Red-winged Pytilia (Pytilia phoenicoptera)
Yellow-winged Pytilia (Pytilia hypogrammica)
Orange-winged Pytilia (Pytilia afra)
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba)
Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala)
Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata)
Green Twinspot (Mandingoa nitidula)
Red-faced Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza reichenovii)
Abyssinian Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza salvadorii)
Dusky Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza jacksoni)
Shelley’s Crimsonwing (Cryptospiza shelleyi)
Black-bellied Seedcracker (Pyrenestes ostrinus)
Crimson Seedcracker (Pyrenestes sanguineus)
Lesser Seedcracker (Pyrenestes minor)
Grant’s Bluebill (Spermophaga poliogenys)
Western Bluebill (Spermophaga haematina)
Red-headed Bluebill (Spermophaga ruficapilla)
Brown Twinspot (Clytospiza monteiri)
Pink-throated Twinspot (Hypargos margaritatus)
Red-throated Twinspot (Hypargos niveoguttatus)
Dybowski’s Twinspot (Euschistospiza dybowskii)
Dusky Twinspot (Euschistospiza cinereovinacea)
Black-bellied Firefinch (Lagonosticta rara)
Bar-breasted Firefinch (Lagonosticta rufopicta)
Brown Firefinch (Lagonosticta nitidula)
Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala)
Rock Firefinch (Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis)
Chad Firefinch (Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis)
Mali Firefinch (Lagonosticta virata)
African Firefinch (Lagonosticta rubricata)
Landana Firefinch (Lagonosticta landanae)
Jameson’s Firefinch (Lagonosticta rhodopareia)
Black-faced Firefinch (Lagonosticta larvata)
Blue Waxbill (Uraeginthus angolensis)
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus)
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus cyanocephalus)
Violet-eared Waxbill (Uraeginthus granatinus)
Purple Grenadier (Uraeginthus ianthinogaster)
Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia)
Swee Waxbill (Coccopygia melanotis)
Angolan Waxbill (Coccopygia bocagei)
Lavender Waxbill (Estrilda caerulescens)
Grey Waxbill (Estrilda perreini)
Cinderella Waxbill (Estrilda thomensis)
Anambra Waxbill (Estrilda poliopareia)
Fawn-breasted Waxbill (Estrilda paludicola)
Abyssinian Waxbill (Estrilda ochrogaster)
Orange-cheeked Waxbill (Estrilda melpoda)
Crimson-rumped Waxbill (Estrilda rhodopyga)
Arabian Waxbill (Estrilda rufibarba)
Black-rumped Waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes)
Common Waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Black-lored Waxbill (Estrilda nigriloris)
Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula)
Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla)
Kandt’s Waxbill (Estrilda kandti)
Black-faced Waxbill (Estrilda erythronotos)
Black-cheeked Waxbill (Estrilda charmosyna)
Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava)
Green Avadavat (Amandava formosa)
Orange-breasted Waxbill (Amandava subflava)
Quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis)
Locust Finch (Paludipasser locustella)
Painted Finch (Emblema pictum)
Beautiful Firetail (Stagonopleura bella)
Red-eared Firetail (Stagonopleura oculata)
Diamond Firetail (Stagonopleura guttata)
Mountain Firetail (Oreostruthus fuliginosus)
Red-browed Finch (Neochmia temporalis)
Crimson Finch (Neochmia phaeton)
Star Finch (Neochmia ruficauda)
Plum-headed Finch (Neochmia modesta)
Masked Finch (Poephila personata)
Long-tailed Finch (Poephila acuticauda)
Black-throated Finch (Poephila cincta)
Zebra Finch (Taeniopygia guttata)
Double-barred Finch (Taeniopygia bichenovii)
Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch (Erythrura hyperythra)
Pin-tailed Parrotfinch (Erythrura prasina)
Green-faced Parrotfinch (Erythrura viridifacies)
Tricolored Parrotfinch (Erythrura tricolor)
Red-eared Parrotfinch (Erythrura coloria)
Blue-faced Parrotfinch (Erythrura trichroa)
Papuan Parrotfinch (Erythrura papuana)
Red-throated Parrotfinch (Erythrura psittacea)
Red-headed Parrotfinch (Erythrura cyaneovirens)
Royal Parrotfinch (Erythrura regia)
Fiji Parrotfinch (Erythrura pealii)
Pink-billed Parrotfinch (Erythrura kleinschmidti)
Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae)
Madagascan Mannikin (Lepidopygia nana)
African Silverbill (Euodice cantans)
Indian Silverbill (Euodice malabarica)
Grey-headed Silverbill (Odontospiza caniceps)
Bronze Mannikin (Lonchura cucullata)
Black-and-white Mannikin (Lonchura bicolor)
Red-backed Mannikin (Lonchura nigriceps)
Magpie Mannikin (Lonchura fringilloides)
White-rumped Munia (Lonchura striata)
Javan Munia (Lonchura leucogastroides)
Dusky Munia (Lonchura fuscans)
Black-faced Munia (Lonchura molucca)
Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata)
Black-throated Munia (Lonchura kelaarti)
White-bellied Munia (Lonchura leucogastra)
Streak-headed Mannikin (Lonchura tristissima)
White-spotted Mannikin (Lonchura leucosticta)
Five-colored Munia (Lonchura quinticolor)
Tricolored Munia (Lonchura malacca)
White-capped Munia (Lonchura ferruginosa)
Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla)
White-headed Munia (Lonchura maja)
Pale-headed Munia (Lonchura pallida)
Great-billed Mannikin (Lonchura grandis)
Grey-banded Mannikin (Lonchura vana)
Grey-headed Mannikin (Lonchura caniceps)
Grey-crowned Mannikin (Lonchura nevermanni)
Hooded Mannikin (Lonchura spectabilis)
Forbes’s Mannikin (Lonchura forbesi)
Hunstein’s Mannikin (Lonchura hunsteini)
Yellow-rumped Mannikin (Lonchura flaviprymna)
Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax)
Black Mannikin (Lonchura stygia)
Black-breasted Mannikin (Lonchura teerinki)
Eastern Alpine Mannikin (Lonchura monticola)
Western Alpine Mannikin (Lonchura montana)
Buff-bellied Mannikin (Lonchura melaena)
Timor Sparrow (Lonchura fuscata)
Java Sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora)
Pictorella Mannikin (Heteromunia pectoralis)

On the photos or slides, a “by” indicates one of the photographers or videographers, who have given their permission, with links on our sidebar. Please visit their site to see many more fantastic shots, a “©©” copyright symbol indicates a photo from Creative Commons and ©WikiC is a Creative Commons photo from Wikipedia.

Photographers or Videographers used on this page from our sidebar, Photography, are:
Ian Montgomery’s Birdway
Nikhil Devasar’s Gallery
Ray’s Wildlife Photography

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Articles Mentioning Birds From This Family:

Other Websites that have photos of this Family:

Estrildid Finches, Firetails, Munias & Allies – Ian’s Birdway
Waxbills (Estrildidae) – IBC
Estrildid finch – Wikipedia

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The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae (weaver-finch), or as a subfamily within the family Passeridae, which strictly defined comprises the Old World sparrows. Most are sensitive to cold and require warm, usually tropical, habitats, although a few have adapted to the cooler climates of southern Australia.

They are gregarious and often colonial seed-eaters with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but vary widely in plumage colours and patterns.

All the estrildids build large, domed nests and lay 5–10 white eggs. Many species build roost nests. Some of the fire-finches and pytilias are hosts to the brood-parasitic indigobirds and whydahs, respectively.

The smallest species of the family is the Shelley’s Oliveback (Nesocharis shelleyi) at a mere 3.3 in (8.3 centimetres), although the lightest species is the Black-rumped Waxbill (Estrilda troglodytes) at 0.21 oz (6 g). The largest species is the Java Sparrow (Padda oryzivora), at 6.7 in (17 cm) and 0.88 oz (25 g). (Wikipedia with editing)

Some of the Family – Photos are Alphabetical down the columns: