Black-faced Waxbill Brunhilda erythronotos Scientific name definitions

11–12 cm; 7·9–10·2 g. Male nominate race has forehead to nape dull grey-brown, forehead paler, lower nape and sides of neck grey, lores to ear-coverts and chin black; mantle, scapulars and back grey-brown, washed pinkish, finely barred black, lower back to uppertail-coverts deep red; median and greater upperwing-coverts and inner flight-feathers pale grey with pinkish wash and black bars, outer remiges black; tail long, graduated, black; throat, breast and belly grey, finely barred blackish, flanks (from sides of upper breast) dark reddish, belly and undertail-coverts black; iris red to reddish brown, eyering grey; bill bluish grey, black tip; legs dark grey. Female is duller and paler than male, back less pink, rump paler red, flanks pinkish red and this colour barely extending to sides of breast, undertail-coverts barred grey and black. Juvenile is like female, but more sooty, bill black. Race delamerei is paler than nominate, paler grey on head and neck, lighter red rump and uppertail-coverts, black face finely outlined below with pale grey, breast and belly paler grey with pink wash, female more grey and less pink, undertail-coverts grey, iris brown.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

In the past sometimes placed (with charmosyna as a race) in Brunhilda, but such treatment was considered unwarranted until recently. Considered conspecific with Estrilda charmosyna (now Brunhilda erythronotos) in HBW, against modern interpretations of evidence (1 Wolters, H.E. (1985). Species limits in some Afrotropical Estrildidae (Aves: Passeriformes). Pp. 425–432 in: Schuchmann, K.L. ed. (1985). Proceedings of the International Symposium on African Vertebrates: Systematics, Phylogeny and Evolutionary Ecology. Zoologisches Forschungsinstitut und Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn. Close , 2 Zimmerman, D. A., D. A. Turner, and D. J. Pearson (1996). Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania. Christopher Helm, London, United Kingdom. Close , 3 Stevenson, T. and Fanshawe, J. (2002). Field Guide to the Birds of East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi. T. & A.D. Poyser, London. Close , 4 Fry, C. H., S. Keith, and E. K. Urban (Editors) (2004). The Birds of Africa. Volume 7. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, USA. Close ), but split here reinstated. Proposed race soligena (from Otjomassu Sandfield, in C Namibia) here synonymized with nominate. Two subspecies recognized.

Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Acacia (Acacia) scrub and thickets, riverine thornbush. In Kenya, race delamerei in semi-arid country above 1000 m and within region with at least 500 mm rainfall; to Uganda, same race recorded to 1500 m. Nominate race almost solely recorded at 950–1050 m in Zambia.

Resident; some local movements, e.g. E of main range in Zambia in Jul–Oct, perhaps representative of post-breeding wandering in unusually cold seasons. In Kenya, local movements suggested by irregular appearance of differently plumaged birds (presumably different races) in Athi Plains; in S Africa, moves into drier parts of Kalahari in seasons with high rainfall.

Small grass seeds, also small insects and nectar. In N South Africa, grass seeds taken were those of Panicum laevifolium, P. maximum, Urochloa mosambicensis, Tricholaema monachne, Setaria verticillata and Eragrostis; insects, especially small termites (Isoptera) and beetles (Coleoptera), and nectar of aloe (Aloe). Forages on ground, and takes seeds from heads on stems; flies up and lands on culm, bending it to the ground. Forages in pairs and in small groups; also in larger flocks outside breeding season.

Close contact call during foraging is a high-pitched “tip-tip”; alarm call is shorter and more explosive, “tsip tsip tsip”. Distance contact call or song a whistled “tee” or “tee-eee”, the last part rising in pitch.

Season Jan and Feb (perhaps also Nov) in Zambia; in E Africa breeds in long rains, Apr–Jun in Kenya and Jun in Tanzania (Serengeti); Jan–May (most records Feb and Mar) in Namibia, Sept–Apr (most Jan–Mar) in Zimbabwe, and Dec–May (most Dec–Mar) in N South Africa. Courting male (nominate race and delamerei) holds grass stem by the end in bill, black cheek feathers fluffed, bobs body up and down and sings (displays and sings alone, as well as when a female present), in stem display, feathers raised on nape and cheek and rump, sleeked on crown; in greeting, partners perch upright, head half-turned to mate, anterior black face feathers fluffed, tail angled towards partner, move side to side and nod head. Nest a large ovoid ball (180 mm × 100 mm), downward-directed entrance tube at side (75–125 mm long and 25 mm wide), built from grass stems and panicles, lined with fine grass, some (fewer than 50% in S Africa) with a feather-lined cock’s nest (100 mm × 65 mm) on top, placed 3–9 m (usually 4–5 m ) above ground in thorny Acacia tortilis tree in S Africa, sometimes near remains of old nests; in Kenya, 2–6 m above ground in tree, in S (near Olorgesailie) in Acacia mellifera. Clutch 3–6 white eggs, size 12·2–16·3 mm × 9·9–11 mm; incubation period 12 days; nestling skin black, with light grey down, gape has swollen curved white arc above and white arc below extending to swollen ridge along jaw, each arc lined black on inner surface, palate white with five black spots, tongue pinkish with black spots, mouth pattern black and white; nestling period 19–23 days; fledglings feed themselves 10–14 days after leaving nest. Race delamerei parasitized by Steel-blue Whydah (Vidua hypocherina) in Kenya; species also parasitized occasionally by Shaft-tailed Whydah (Vidua regia).

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Locally fairly common in E Africa; sparse and very local in Zimbabwe, mainly in W & S of C plateau; elsewhere in S of range, main concentrations in C Namibia, NW Botswana (Okavango), and hardveld of E Botswana and N South Africa (North West Province). Range reported to be expanding W in Northern Cape Province. In 250-ha study site in N South Africa, 118 birds trapped in period of 40 months.