Lavender Waxbill

Glaucestrilda coerulescens

A striking songbird with soft grey-lavender feathers and red tail, found fluttering through grasslands and gardens across central Africa, successfully introduced to Hawaii.

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Visual Identification

Appearance

The Lavender Waxbill is a tiny, slender finch with a distinctive lavender-grey plumage that covers most of its body. Its face, throat, and upper breast are washed with a soft blue tint, while the top of the tail and undertail coverts are red.

Both sexes look mostly similar, with a small, bright, pinkish-grey beak, a small black stripe across the eyes and black legs. Females usually have darker underparts, although its hard to tell the sexes apart.

Juveniles have paler plumage, no black eyestripe and less red colouring on the undertail coverts and tail.

Size

Length

9cm to 10cm

Wingspan

12cm to 14cm

Weight

8g to 15g

Colours

Males and females have similar plumage

Primary Colour

Grey Red

Secondary Colour

Purple

Beak Colour

Pink Grey

Leg Colour

Black

Habitat and Distribution

Habitats

Woodland

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Woodland habitats.

Garden

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Garden habitats.

Wetland

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Wetland habitats.

Coastal

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Coastal habitats.

Urban

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Urban habitats.

Farmland

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Farmland habitats.

Grassland

The Lavender Waxbill can be found in Grassland habitats.

Desert

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Desert habitats.

Tundra

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Tundra habitats.

Rainforest

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Rainforest habitats.

Mountain

The Lavender Waxbill is not typically found in Mountain habitats.

Savanna

The Lavender Waxbill can be found in Savanna habitats.

Distribution

Lavender Waxbills are native to sub-Saharan Africa, ranging from Senegal east to Ethiopia and south to northern South Africa. They inhabit open grasslands, savannahs, and woodland edges, often near water sources.

These birds are non-migratory and maintain a relatively stable distribution throughout the year. They have been successfully introduced to Hawaii in the United States.

Elevation Range

Up to 1,500 meters

Climate zones

Tropical, Subtropical

Distribution Map

This map gives you a rough idea of where you might spot a Lavender Waxbill. The coloured areas show countries where these birds have been seen.

A few things to keep in mind:

Birds might not be everywhere in the coloured areas, for example, they may be present around the coast of that country
Where birds live can change with seasons and available food
This map is quite simple - it doesn't show exact locations

We're working on making our maps even better! Soon, we hope to show you:

More detailed maps for bigger countries, including state and region
How birds move around during different seasons