Black-bellied Firefinch (Lagonosticta rara)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-bellied Firefinch

Lagonosticta rara (Antinori, 1864)

10 gWeight

The black-bellied firefinch (Lagonosticta rara) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa.

Busiest months: March · Most records: Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-bellied Firefinch has been recorded at 48 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria51 records
  2. Benoue NPCameroon39 records
  3. Budongo Forest Reserve – Royal MileUganda34 records
More places
  1. Ngaoundaba RanchCameroon33 records
  2. Mole NP – Samole Loop & waterholeGhana28 records
  3. Murchison Falls NP – North sideUganda28 records
  4. Mole NPGhana27 records
  5. Kidepo Valley NPUganda15 records
  6. Lake Mburo NPUganda10 records
  7. Mole NP – Samole loopGhana8 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaGhanaCameroonNigeriaSenegalCôte d’IvoireTogoBenin

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The black-bellied firefinch (Lagonosticta rara) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Black-bellied Firefinch?

The Black-bellied Firefinch weighs around 10 g.

Where does the Black-bellied Firefinch live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central, eastern. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Ghana and Cameroon.

When is the best time to see the Black-bellied Firefinch?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Black-bellied Firefinch endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-bellied Firefinch as Least Concern.

What does the Black-bellied Firefinch eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Black-bellied Firefinch in?

It belongs to the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
10 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
50 mm
Tail
41 mm
Bill
10 mm
Tarsus
14 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: western, central, eastern

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Waxbills, Munias & Allies Estrildidae
Genus
Lagonosticta

Other birds in the genus Lagonosticta

Red-billed FirefinchRed-billed FirefinchLagonosticta senegalaAfrican FirefinchAfrican FirefinchLagonosticta rubricataJameson's FirefinchJameson's FirefinchLagonosticta rhodopareiaMali FirefinchMali FirefinchLagonosticta virataRock FirefinchRock FirefinchLagonosticta sanguinodorsalisChad FirefinchChad FirefinchLagonosticta umbrinodorsalisBar-breasted FirefinchBar-breasted FirefinchLagonosticta rufopictaBrown FirefinchBrown FirefinchLagonosticta nitidulaBlack-faced FirefinchBlack-faced FirefinchLagonosticta larvataPictorella MannikinPictorella MannikinHeteromunia pectoralis
Black-bellied Firefinch

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by markus lilje. ↗

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