Skip to main content

Photo: Francesco Veronesi from Italy / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Yellow-bellied Waxbill

Coccopygia quartinia

Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found across 4 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

See what's near you right now

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia) is a member of the Estrildidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 6.7 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Estrildidae Waxbills, Munias & Allies
  4. Genus Coccopygia
  5. Species quartinia

Where it lives

East-central, southeastern

Quick facts

Weight
6.7 g
Family
Estrildidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.

Migration

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia) is a species of bird in the Estrildidae family, part of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF ec, se.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 6.7 g, with a wing length of about 4.7 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 677,000 km².

Songs & calls

Yellow-bellied Waxbill — Begging call

Recorded by Ranive Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Yellow-bellied Waxbill?

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill is a very small bird that weighs around 6.7 g.

Where does the Yellow-bellied Waxbill live?

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill is found across Africa with a range covering AF ec, se, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Yellow-bellied Waxbill belong to?

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill (Coccopygia quartinia) belongs to the Estrildidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Yellow-bellied Waxbill eat?

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Yellow-bellied Waxbill migrate?

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Yellow-bellied Waxbill 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 Yellow-bellied Waxbill make?

1 real field recording of the Yellow-bellied Waxbill — including its begging call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Yellow-bellied Waxbill's range?

The Yellow-bellied Waxbill has a mapped global range of about 677,000 km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Estrildidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top