Estrildidae - Waxbills, Zebra Finches, Firefinches, Parrot Finches

There are about 136 birds in this family. Most are 3-6 inches in length and have cone-shaped bills. They are found in tropical areas of Africa, Asia, and Australia. They are seed and berry eaters and come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

They build large domed-shaped nests. Many species in this family, like the zebra finch, are kept as caged pets. A number of the species in this family have been introduced into the wild in North America.

Estrildidae Photo Gallery

World Status Key
Least Concern Near Threatened Vulnerable Endangered Critically Endangered Extinct in the Wild Extinct
Status and range is taken from ICUN Redlist. If no status is listed, there is not enough data to establish status.

US Status Key
Threatened in US Threatened in NH Endangered in US Endangered in NH Breeds in NH Introduced
Status taken from US Fish and Wildlife and NH Fish and Game

New Hampshire Species		North/Central American Species
None		Red Avadavat - Amandava amandava Lavender Waxbill - Estrilda caerulescens Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda Bronze Munia - Lonchura cucullata White-throated Munia - Lonchura malabarica Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata Red-cheeked Cordonbleu - Uraeginthus bengalus

Other Species Around the World
Africa Asia Australia/Oceania Europe North/Central America South America NH Species
Red-headed Finch - Amadina erythrocephala Cut-throat - Amadina fasciata Red Avadavat - Amandava amandava Green Avadavat - Amandava formosa Zebra Waxbill - Amandava subflava Brown Twinspot - Clytospiza monteiri Dusky Crimson-wing - Cryptospiza jacksoni Red-faced Crimson-wing - Cryptospiza reichenovii Abyssinian Crimson-wing - Cryptospiza salvadorii Shelley's Crimson-wing - Cryptospiza shelleyi Painted Firetail - Emblema pictum Red-eared Parrotfinch - Erythrura coloria Red-headed Parrotfinch - Erythrura cyaneovirens Gouldian Finch - Erythrura gouldiae Tawny-breasted Parrotfinch - Erythrura hyperythra Pink-billed Parrotfinch - Erythrura kleinschmidti Papuan Parrotfinch - Erythrura papuana Fiji Parrotfinch - Erythrura pealii Pin-tailed Parrotfinch - Erythrura prasina Red-throated Parrotfinch - Erythrura psittacea Royal Parrotfinch - Erythrura regia Blue-faced Parrotfinch - Erythrura trichroa Tricolored Parrotfinch - Erythrura tricolor Green-faced Parrotfinch - Erythrura viridifacies Common Waxbill - Estrilda astrild Black-headed Waxbill - Estrilda atricapilla Lavender Waxbill - Estrilda caerulescens Red-rumped Waxbill - Estrilda charmosyna Black-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda erythronotos Swee Waxbill - Estrilda melanotis Orange-cheeked Waxbill - Estrilda melpoda Black-lored Waxbill - Estrilda nigriloris [dd] Black-crowned Waxbill - Estrilda nonnula Fawn-breasted Waxbill - Estrilda paludicola Black-tailed Waxbill - Estrilda perreini Anambra Waxbill - Estrilda poliopareia Crimson-rumped Waxbill - Estrilda rhodopyga Arabian Waxbill - Estrilda rufibarba Cinderella Waxbill - Estrilda thomensis Black-rumped Waxbill - Estrilda troglodytes Dusky Twinspot - Euschistospiza cinereovinacea Dybowski's Twinspot - Euschistospiza dybowskii Pictorella Munia - Heteromunia pectoralis Pink-throated Twinspot - Hypargos margaritatus Peters's Twinspot - Hypargos niveoguttatus Pale-billed Firefinch - Lagonosticta landanae Black-throated Firefinch - Lagonosticta larvata Brown Firefinch - Lagonosticta nitidula Black-bellied Firefinch - Lagonosticta rara Jameson's Firefinch - Lagonosticta rhodopareia African Firefinch - Lagonosticta rubricata Bar-breasted Firefinch - Lagonosticta rufopicta Rock Firefinch - Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis Red-billed Firefinch - Lagonosticta senegala Mali Firefinch - Lagonosticta virata Chestnut Munia - Lonchura atricapilla Black-and-white Munia - Lonchura bicolor Gray-headed Munia - Lonchura caniceps African Silverbill - Lonchura cantans Chestnut-breasted Munia-Lonchura castaneothorax Bronze Munia - Lonchura cucullata White-capped Munia - Lonchura ferruginosa Yellow-rumped Munia - Lonchura flaviprymna New Ireland Munia - Lonchura forbesi Magpie Munia - Lonchura fringilloides Dusky Munia - Lonchura fuscans Grand Munia - Lonchura grandis Gray-headed Silverbill - Lonchura griseicapilla		Mottled Munia - Lonchura hunsteini Black-throated Munia - Lonchura kelaarti White-bellied Munia - Lonchura leucogastra Javan Munia - Lonchura leucogastroides White-spotted Munia - Lonchura leucosticta White-headed Munia - Lonchura maja White-throated Munia - Lonchura malabarica Tricolored Munia - Lonchura malacca Bismarck Munia - Lonchura melaena Black-faced Munia - Lonchura molucca Snow Mountain Munia - Lonchura montana Alpine Munia - Lonchura monticola Madagascar Munia - Lonchura nana Gray-crowned Munia - Lonchura nevermanni New Hanover Munia - Lonchura nigerrima Brown-backed Munia - Lonchura nigriceps Pale-headed Munia - Lonchura pallida Scaly-breasted Munia - Lonchura punctulata Five-colored Munia - Lonchura quinticolor Hooded Munia - Lonchura spectabilis White-rumped Munia - Lonchura striata Black Munia - Lonchura stygia Black-breasted Munia - Lonchura teerinki Streak-headed Munia - Lonchura tristissima Gray-banded Munia - Lonchura vana Green-backed Twinspot - Mandingoa nitidula Plum-headed Finch - Neochmia modesta Crimson Finch - Neochmia phaeton Star Finch - Neochmia ruficauda Red-browed Finch - Neochmia temporalis White-collared Oliveback - Nesocharis ansorgei White-cheeked Oliveback - Nesocharis capistrata Fernando Po Oliveback - Nesocharis shelleyi Chestnut-breasted Negrofinch - Nigrita bicolor Gray-headed Negrofinch - Nigrita canicapillus White-breasted Negrofinch - Nigrita fusconotus Pale-fronted Negrofinch - Nigrita luteifrons Mountain Firetail - Oreostruthus fuliginosus Ortygospiza atricollis Locust Finch - Ortygospiza locustella Timor Sparrow - Padda fuscata Java Sparrow - Padda oryzivora Jameson's Antpecker - Parmoptila jamesoni Red-fronted Antpecker - Parmoptila rubrifrons Woodhouse's Antpecker - Parmoptila woodhousei Long-tailed Finch - Poephila acuticauda Black-throated Finch - Poephila cincta Masked Finch - Poephila personata Lesser Seedcracker - Pyrenestes minor Black-bellied Seedcracker - Pyrenestes ostrinus Crimson Seedcracker - Pyrenestes sanguineus Orange-winged Pytilia - Pytilia afra Red-faced Pytilia - Pytilia hypogrammica Green-winged Pytilia - Pytilia melba Red-winged Pytilia - Pytilia phoenicoptera Western Bluebill - Spermophaga haematina Grant's Bluebill - Spermophaga poliogenys Red-headed Bluebill - Spermophaga ruficapilla Beautiful Firetail - Stagonopleura bella Diamond Firetail - Stagonopleura guttata Red-eared Firetail - Stagonopleura oculata Double-barred Finch - Taeniopygia bichenovii Zebra Finch - Taeniopygia guttata Blue-breasted Cordonbleu - Uraeginthus angolensis Red-cheeked Cordonbleu - Uraeginthus bengalus Blue-capped Cordonbleu - Uraeginthus cyanocephalus Common Grenadier - Uraeginthus granatinus Purple Grenadier - Uraeginthus ianthinogaster