Red-headed Finch Amadina erythrocephala Scientific name definitions

12–13 cm; 17·5-30 g. Male has head to nape, cheek and throat red, broad pale grey area on lores; hindneck and mantle unmarked grey, rest of upperparts greyish-brown, rump and uppertail-coverts with fine black subterminal bars and buff tips; tail slightly graduated, dark brown, outer feathers tipped white and with white outer fringe; upperwing light grey with buff and black spots and bars; below , whitish-buff to brown along sides, chestnut patch on upper belly, feathers with white centre and black tip (producing barred and scalloped pattern), undertail-coverts whitish; iris dark brown, eyering pale grey; bill stout, light horn-colour, tinged pink in breeding season; legs pale pink. Female is duller than male , has head unmarked greyish-brown but often with some rusty orange tips, upperparts browner, underparts buff, upper belly lacks chestnut patch, pattern less boldly barred and scalloped. Juvenile is paler, less boldly marked below, male head greyish-brown or sometimes rusty orange, female head pale greyish-brown.

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SW Angola (S from SW Bengo), Namibia, Botswana, S Zimbabwe, South Africa and lowland Lesotho.

Grass seeds and insects, including termites (Isoptera). Gregarious, foraging in small groups; flocks of hundreds appear at water-holes during droughts.

Call "shep", similar to that of a sparrow (Passer), also "zree-zree" in flight; alarm a sharp "tek". Male song is a repeated pattern of soft churring or buzzing notes.