Bird Album
Quailfinch
Ortygospiza atricollis (Vieillot, 1817)
11 gWeight
The black-faced quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis atricollis), is a common subspecies of estrildid finch found in western and central of Africa.
Busiest months: March–April and November · Most records: Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania
Where and when it's recorded
Quailfinch has been recorded at 228 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 28 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Nairobi NPKenya547 records
- Maasai Mara NR – Mara TriangleKenya228 records
- Ngorongoro Conservation Area – Ngorongoro CraterTanzania131 records
More places
- Marievale Bird SanctuarySouth Africa120 records
- Mkhombo Nature ReserveSouth Africa109 records
- Amurum Forest ReserveNigeria94 records
- Maasai Mara NRKenya94 records
- Queen Elizabeth II NP – Kasenyi TrackUganda89 records
- Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa80 records
- Rietvlei NRSouth Africa80 records
Countries and regions with the most records
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-faced quailfinch (Ortygospiza atricollis atricollis), is a common subspecies of estrildid finch found in western and central of Africa. Some taxonomists consider it to be conspecific with the African quailfinch, others consider all three species to be conspecific.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Quailfinch?
The Quailfinch weighs around 11 g.
Where does the Quailfinch live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa. It is most often recorded in Kenya, South Africa and Tanzania.
When is the best time to see the Quailfinch?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March, April and November (Southern Hemisphere).
Is the Quailfinch endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Quailfinch as Least Concern.
What does the Quailfinch eat?
Main food: Seeds.
What family is the Quailfinch in?
It belongs to the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 11 g
- Habitat
- Grassland
- Diet
- Seeds
- Lifestyle
- Active on the ground
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 51 mm
- Tail
- 31 mm
- Bill
- 10 mm
- Tarsus
- 14 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Waxbills, Munias & Allies Estrildidae
- Genus
- Ortygospiza
More from the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies
Pictorella MannikinHeteromunia pectoralis
Mountain FiretailOreostruthus fuliginosus
Diamond FiretailStagonopleura guttata
Red-eared FiretailStagonopleura oculata
Beautiful FiretailStagonopleura bella
Crimson FinchNeochmia phaeton
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalis
Painted FinchEmblema pictum
Star FinchEmblema ruficauda
Plum-headed FinchEmblema modesta
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Demetrius John Kessy. ↗
Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.