Purple Grenadier (Granatina ianthinogaster)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Purple Grenadier

Granatina ianthinogaster (Reichenow, 1879)

13 cmLength14 gWeight

The purple grenadier (Granatina ianthinogaster) is a common species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa.

Busiest months: February and November · Most records: Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Purple Grenadier has been recorded at 99 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 5 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Nairobi NPKenya1,463 records
  2. Maasai Mara NRKenya364 records
  3. Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya300 records
More places
  1. Serengeti NPTanzania264 records
  2. Serengeti NP – SeroneraTanzania218 records
  3. Mpala Ranch and Research CentreKenya206 records
  4. Angama LodgeKenya183 records
  5. Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania181 records
  6. Mpala Research Centre – LabsKenya180 records
  7. Lake Nakuru NPKenya179 records

Countries and regions with the most records

KenyaTanzaniaEthiopiaUgandaSomalia

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 purple grenadier (Granatina ianthinogaster) is a common species of estrildid finch found in eastern Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Purple Grenadier?

The Purple Grenadier is about 13 cm long and weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Purple Grenadier live?

Its breeding range: Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to central Tanzania. It is most often recorded in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia.

When is the best time to see the Purple Grenadier?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in February and November (Southern Hemisphere).

Is the Purple Grenadier endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Purple Grenadier as Least Concern.

What does the Purple Grenadier eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Purple Grenadier in?

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

At a glance

Length
13 cm
Weight
14 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Varied
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
54 mm
Tail
63 mm
Bill
11 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

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

Range

Africa: Ethiopia and Somalia to central Tanzania

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

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

Other birds in the genus Granatina

Violet-eared WaxbillViolet-eared WaxbillGranatina granatinaPictorella MannikinPictorella MannikinHeteromunia pectoralisMountain FiretailMountain FiretailOreostruthus fuliginosusDiamond FiretailDiamond FiretailStagonopleura guttataRed-eared FiretailRed-eared FiretailStagonopleura oculataBeautiful FiretailBeautiful FiretailStagonopleura bellaCrimson FinchCrimson FinchNeochmia phaetonRed-browed FinchRed-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisPainted FinchPainted FinchEmblema pictumStar FinchStar FinchEmblema ruficauda
Purple Grenadier

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

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