Photo: Tom Tarrant / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Red-billed Firefinch
Lagonosticta senegala
Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 16 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) is a member of the Estrildidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 9.2 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 Lagonosticta
- Species senegala
Quick facts
- Weight
- 9.2 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Red-billed Firefinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open woodland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Red-billed Firefinch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) is a species of bird in the Estrildidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF w, ec, e, s.
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 9.2 g, with a wing length of about 4.9 cm and a tail of around 3.7 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 10 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Red-billed Firefinch?
The Red-billed Firefinch is a very small bird that weighs around 9.2 g.
Where does the Red-billed Firefinch live?
The Red-billed Firefinch is found across Africa with a range covering AF w, ec, e, s, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Red-billed Firefinch belong to?
The Red-billed Firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) belongs to the Estrildidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Red-billed Firefinch eat?
The Red-billed Firefinch is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Red-billed Firefinch migrate?
The Red-billed Firefinch is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Red-billed Firefinch 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 Red-billed Firefinch make?
1 real field recording of the Red-billed Firefinch — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Red-billed Firefinch's range?
The Red-billed Firefinch has a mapped global range of about 10 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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