Violet-eared Waxbill (Granatina granatina)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

Violet-eared Waxbill

Granatina granatina (Linnaeus, 1766)

12 gWeight

The violet-eared waxbill or common grenadier (Granatina granatina) is a common species of estrildid finch found in drier land of Southern Africa.

Busiest months: August–November · Most records: Namibia, South Africa, Botswana

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

Violet-eared Waxbill has been recorded at 88 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 6 countries and regions.

Records by month Southern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Polokwane GRSouth Africa289 records
  2. Zaagkuildrift RdSouth Africa266 records
  3. Pilanesberg NPSouth Africa196 records
More places
  1. Daan Viljoen Game ReserveNamibia175 records
  2. Avis DamNamibia149 records
  3. Okonjima Nature ReserveNamibia142 records
  4. Bwabwata NP – Mahango riverside loopNamibia135 records
  5. Madikwe GRSouth Africa131 records
  6. Ondudu LodgeNamibia119 records
  7. Etosha NP – Halali CampNamibia118 records

Countries and regions with the most records

NamibiaSouth AfricaBotswanaZimbabweAngolaZambia

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 violet-eared waxbill or common grenadier (Granatina granatina) is a common species of estrildid finch found in drier land of Southern Africa.

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

Questions

How big is the Violet-eared Waxbill?

The Violet-eared Waxbill weighs around 12 g.

Where does the Violet-eared Waxbill live?

Its breeding range: Africa: southern Angola and central Namibia to southwestern Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and northern, northeastern South Africa. It is most often recorded in Namibia, South Africa and Botswana.

When is the best time to see the Violet-eared Waxbill?

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

Is the Violet-eared Waxbill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Violet-eared Waxbill as Least Concern.

What does the Violet-eared Waxbill eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Violet-eared Waxbill in?

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

At a glance

Weight
12 g
Habitat
Shrubland
Diet
Omnivore
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
56 mm
Tail
65 mm
Bill
10 mm
Tarsus
16 mm

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

Range

Africa: southern Angola and central Namibia to southwestern Zambia, Zimbabwe, southern Mozambique and northern, northeastern South Africa

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 Waxbill

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

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