Black-tailed Waxbill
Glaucestrilda perreini
Pretty little gray waxbill with a black tail and red rump, which is conspicuous in flight. Found along forest edge and in thick woodland. Shy and inconspicuous; usually in small flocks. Call is a long, whistled “tseee”, which is often doubled. Very similar to the localized Cinderella Waxbill, but is darker gray, black-billed, and has gray thighs.
Identification
Pretty little gray waxbill with a black tail and red rump, which is conspicuous in flight. Found along forest edge and in thick woodland. Shy and inconspicuous; usually in small flocks. Call is a long, whistled “tseee”, which is often doubled. Very similar to the localized Cinderella Waxbill, but is darker gray, black-billed, and has gray thighs.
Taxonomy
Genus: Glaucestrilda; Family: Estrildidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Glaucestrilda perreini
- Authority
- (Vieillot, 1817)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Glaucestrilda
Range and habitat
It is found in subtropical/ tropical (lowland) moist shrubland habitats in Angola, the Republic of Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, Malawi, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia & Zimbabwe. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: declining.
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Scaly Weaver
Sporopipes squamifrons
A very small, sandy-colored finch-like weaver with a scaly crown, a pale pink bill, and a black moustache on a white throat that gives it a fierce-looking expression. Small groups are resident and nomadic in grassy arid savanna, where there are trees and scrub nearby in which to build their untidy oval grass nests. The species sometimes gives a soft, reedy “cheet-cheet-cheet” flight call. The Sociable Weaver is much larger than the Scaly Weaver, with a blue-gray bill.
Red-throated Twinspot
Hypargos niveoguttatus
Small, chunky dark waxbill with bright white “twin spots” across the black belly. The male has a red hood and gray crown, and the female an orange breast and brownish head. Found in lush habitats, including forest edge, clearings, and thickets. Shy and inconspicuous. Distinctive call is a short, high trill. The rarely heard song is a complex mix of many different call types. Similar to Pink-throated Twinspot, but male separated by the gray crown, and female by the orange breast.
Ross's Turaco
Tauraco rossae
Spectacular purple turaco with a yellow bill and face and a puffy red crest. Shows large crimson wing patches in flight. Found along forest edge, and in gallery forest and lush gardens. Acts like a typical turaco, bouncing through the trees, and flying occasionally with short bursts of wingbeats and long glides. Call is a low, up-and-down trill that is often given in raucous chorus by a group. Similar to Violet Turaco, but minimal overlap in range, and Ross’s is easily separated by its red crest and yellow bill.
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