Green-winged Pytilia

Pytilia melba (Linnaeus, 1758)

Green-winged Pytilia, Pytilia melba, is a small bird of the waxbill family found across western, central, eastern and southern Africa. It breeds widely in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is seen less often in central areas, in the far south and along the western coast. Its name reflects the green-winged pytilia, and it is a seed-eating passerine. The species was first described by Linnaeus in 1758. Eight subspecies are recognised, with races recorded from Mauritania and Senegal through Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Malawi, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, South Africa and neighbouring regions.

Order

Passeriformes

Family

Estrildidae — Waxbills, Munias & Allies

Breeding range

Africa: w, c, e, s