Red-headed Bluebill (Spermophaga ruficapilla)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Red-headed Bluebill

Spermophaga ruficapilla (Shelley, 1888)

24 gWeight

The red-headed bluebill (Spermophaga ruficapilla) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Busiest months: July and November · Most records: Uganda, Kenya, Congo - Kinshasa

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Red-headed Bluebill has been recorded at 33 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 7 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Kakamega Forest NRKenya280 records
  2. Kakamega Forest NR – Rondo Retreat CentreKenya249 records
  3. Bigodi SwampUganda236 records
More places
  1. Kakamega Forest NR – Ikuywa RiverKenya170 records
  2. Budongo Forest Reserve – Royal MileUganda113 records
  3. Kibale NPUganda105 records
  4. Mabira ForestUganda99 records
  5. Kakamega Forest NR – Zimmerman Plot/Isecheno Forest StationKenya76 records
  6. Bigodi Ecotourism Research CentreUganda68 records
  7. Semuliki NPUganda55 records

Countries and regions with the most records

UgandaKenyaCongo - KinshasaAngolaTanzaniaRwandaBurundi

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 red-headed bluebill (Spermophaga ruficapilla) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Sub-Saharan Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Red-headed Bluebill?

The Red-headed Bluebill weighs around 24 g.

Where does the Red-headed Bluebill live?

Its breeding range: Africa: central, east-central. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Kenya and Congo - Kinshasa.

When is the best time to see the Red-headed Bluebill?

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

Is the Red-headed Bluebill endangered?

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

What does the Red-headed Bluebill eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Red-headed Bluebill in?

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

At a glance

Weight
24 g
Habitat
Forest
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Perches in trees
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
69 mm
Tail
57 mm
Bill
16 mm
Tarsus
22 mm

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

Range

Africa: central, east-central

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

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

Other birds in the genus Spermophaga

Grant's BluebillGrant's BluebillSpermophaga poliogenysWestern BluebillWestern BluebillSpermophaga haematinaPictorella 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 pictum
Red-headed Bluebill

Download illustration

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

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages