Arabian Waxbill
Estrilda rufibarba
A mostly gray-and-buff barred waxbill with a crimson ‘bandit’s’ eye-patch and black tail and rump. A predominantly gray waxbill with buff-washed underparts and fine barring all over the body, as well as a crimson “bandit’s” eye-patch and black tail and rump. Bill is black, but has a red base during the breeding season. Female is darker below than the male, with a duller eye-patch. Juvenile is browner, less barred and has a dark eye-patch. A fairly common resident of riverine scrub, thickets on hillsides, waterside vegetation and agricultural cereal fields; typically forages in pairs and flocks. Calls a nasal “dzeet” often in concert with others, and a loud buzzing. Only waxbill with a red eye-patch on the Arabian Peninsula.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Estrilda rufibarba
- Authority
- (Cabanis, 1851)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Estrilda
Range and habitat
The Arabian waxbill is usually found in wetter land of southern Tihamah foothills and the terraced slopes and wadis of the western escarpments in Yemen. It can also be found along the south coast of Yemen east to Wadi al-Jahr and, in the extensively irrigated intensive agricultural areas of Wadi Hadramawt between Shibam and Tarim, usually with a dense cover of trees and bushes. The altitude of its habitats is approximately 250 to 2,500 m.<p>This species has become closely associated with regularly irrigated agricultural areas (especially cereal cultivation) due to its accessibility to drinking water. Modern irrigation techniques have increased the crops' yield but they also have destroyed some traditional sites through burning and land-use change, and threatening the species that requires dense waterside vegetation for communal roosting.
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Red-billed Pytilia
Pytilia lineata
A pretty and distinctive waxbill that is mostly gray with red wings, tail, and bill. Females are slightly duller and more brownish than males. Found locally in savanna, woodland, and cultivated areas, often in flocks. Range overlaps with Green-winged and Orange-winged Pytilias, but Red-billed is easily separated by the red wing. Not very vocal, but the most common call is a low “chuk.”
Kandt's Waxbill
Estrilda kandti
Pretty waxbill that is gray, black, and white, with red highlights. The bright red rump is conspicuous in flight. Found along forest edge and clearings, usually in grassy areas, in pairs or small flocks. The calls include high-pitched “tsik” and “tseet” notes which are often given in chorus by a flock, especially in flight. Similar to Black-crowned Waxbill, but darker and browner overall, with a black rather than white undertail.
Variegated Bristle-Tyrant
Pogonotriccus poecilotis
Small flycatcher found in foothill and subtropical forest from around 1500-2300m. Grizzled face pattern with bold black and white crescent on cheek like some other bristle-tyrants and tyrannulets. Look for Variegated’s bold cinnamon wingbars and bicolored bill. Sexes alike. Found singly or in pairs, usually in lower to middle levels of forest, often following a mixed species flock. Listen for high twittering series of “tsit” notes, sometimes with a longer “tsee!” at the end.
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