Photo: Derek Keats / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Green-winged Pytilia
Pytilia melba
Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 10 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) is a member of the Estrildidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 15.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Estrildidae Waxbills, Munias & Allies
- Genus Pytilia
- Species melba
Quick facts
- Weight
- 15.4 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Green-winged Pytilia is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Green-winged Pytilia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) is a species of bird in the Estrildidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, c, e, s.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.4 g, with a wing length of about 5.7 cm and a tail of around 4.7 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Green-winged Pytilia?
The Green-winged Pytilia is a small bird that weighs around 15.4 g.
Where does the Green-winged Pytilia live?
The Green-winged Pytilia is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, c, e, s, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Green-winged Pytilia belong to?
The Green-winged Pytilia (Pytilia melba) belongs to the Estrildidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Green-winged Pytilia eat?
The Green-winged Pytilia is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Green-winged Pytilia migrate?
The Green-winged Pytilia is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Green-winged Pytilia endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Green-winged Pytilia make?
1 real field recording of the Green-winged Pytilia — including its alarm call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Green-winged Pytilia's range?
The Green-winged Pytilia has a mapped global range of about 6 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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