African Firefinch

Lagonosticta rubricata (Lichtenstein, MHC, 1823)

African Firefinch, Lagonosticta rubricata, is a passerine of the Estrildidae family that breeds across western, central, south-eastern and southern Africa. It is found in scattered pockets from Senegal to Ethiopia and south to the Eastern Cape in South Africa. Also known as the blue-billed firefinch, it is a small estrildid finch with a short, pointed bill. The species was first described in 1823 by Lichtenstein. It is usually associated with thick, humid cover, including forest edges, acacia savanna, streamside growth, and gardens or rural settlements.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Estrildidae — Waxbills, Munias & Allies

Breeding range

Africa: w, c, se, s