Lavender Waxbill

Overview

Lavender Waxbill: Native to tropical West Africa. Body is gray overall, face has black eyestripe, flanks have a few small white spots. Rump, tail, and tail coverts are red. Bill is red to black, legs and feet are gray. Undulating flight, alternates flapping and gliding.

Range and Habitat

Lavender Waxbill: First recorded on the Island of Oahu in 1965. They are now found on Hawaii and Maui. Prefers dry scrub habitat, lawns, parks, and gardens. Native to tropical West Africa.

INTERESTING FACTS

The Lavender Waxbill was first described in 1817 by the French ornithologist Vieillot.
It is also known as the Lavender Firefinch and the Red-tailed Lavender Waxbill.
The name waxbill comes from the red color of the bill, which is reminiscent of the color of sealing wax.
A group of finches has many collective nouns, including a "charm", "company", and "trembling" of finches.

The Lavender Waxbill has a large global range, estimated at approximately 620,000 square kilometers. It is native to tropical West Africa and was introduced to the Hawaiian islands. It prefers Dry Savanna or Subtropical and Tropical Dry Shrubland habitats, though it can reside on pastureland or arable land. The population of the bird has not been determined fully but is described as frequent in many of its native areas. The Lavender Waxbill does not currently meet the criteria for the IUCN Red List and has an evaluation level of Least Concern.