Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Black-headed Waxbill

Estrilda atricapilla Verreaux, J & Verreaux, É, 1851

7.8 gWeight

The black-headed waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla) is a common species of estrildid finch found in central Africa.

Busiest months: January · Most records: Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Cameroon

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Black-headed Waxbill has been recorded at 16 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. American University of Central AfricaEquatorial Guinea57 records
  2. Ipassa Makokou Nature ReserveGabon24 records
  3. Grand Hotel DjiblohoEquatorial Guinea22 records
More places
  1. Ipassa Makokou Strict NR – Ipassa StationGabon9 records
  2. Limbe Botanical GardenCameroon8 records
  3. Mt. Cameroon – Guinness TrackCameroon7 records
  4. Mt. KupeCameroon7 records
  5. Korup NP – Rengo Rock Camp AreaCameroon4 records
  6. Dzanga-Sangha NP – Dzanga BaiCentral African Republic3 records
  7. Sangha LodgeCentral African Republic3 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Equatorial GuineaGabonCameroonCentral African RepublicCongo - Brazzaville

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-headed waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla) is a common species of estrildid finch found in central Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 620,000 km².

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

Questions

How big is the Black-headed Waxbill?

The Black-headed Waxbill weighs around 7.8 g.

Where does the Black-headed Waxbill live?

Its breeding range: Africa: central. It is most often recorded in Equatorial Guinea, Gabon and Cameroon.

When is the best time to see the Black-headed Waxbill?

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

Is the Black-headed Waxbill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-headed Waxbill as Least Concern.

What does the Black-headed Waxbill eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Black-headed Waxbill in?

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

At a glance

Weight
7.8 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
46 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
10 mm
Tarsus
14 mm

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

Range

Africa: central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

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

Other birds in the genus Estrilda

Black-crowned WaxbillBlack-crowned WaxbillEstrilda nonnulaKandt's WaxbillKandt's WaxbillEstrilda kandtiOrange-cheeked WaxbillOrange-cheeked WaxbillEstrilda melpodaAnambra WaxbillAnambra WaxbillEstrilda poliopareiaFawn-breasted WaxbillFawn-breasted WaxbillEstrilda paludicolaCommon WaxbillCommon WaxbillEstrilda astrildBlack-lored WaxbillBlack-lored WaxbillEstrilda nigrilorisBlack-rumped WaxbillBlack-rumped WaxbillEstrilda troglodytesCrimson-rumped WaxbillCrimson-rumped WaxbillEstrilda rhodopygaArabian WaxbillArabian WaxbillEstrilda rufibarba
Black-headed Waxbill

Download illustration

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

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