Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes Scientific name definitions

The Black-rumped Waxbill is a widespread inhabitant of sub-Saharan Africa, where it is resident from Senegal to western Ethiopia, and reaches south to Uganda and western Kenya. There are several introduced populations in southern Europe, as well as on the Canary Islands, and in Hawaii. Like several other small granivores, this species was first noted in our region in the 1960s or early 1970s, when it appeared on Puerto Rico, on which island it is noted throughout the coastal lowlands, albeit rather patchily. At the same time it also became established on Guadeloupe, and subsequently on Martinique, in the Lesser Antilles, but it always seems less numerous on these islands than the Red Avadavat (Amandava amandava). There are also more recent reports of the Black-rumped Waxbill on St. Thomas and on the Virgin Islands.

10 cm; 6·9-8·2 g. Male has lores and eyestripe to above ear-coverts red; forehead to back light grey-brown, back finely barred dark grey, rump and uppertail-coverts black, tail black, outer rectrices have white on outer web; flight-feathers dark brown; face (below red eyestripe) whitish, underparts whitish with pink tinge, flanks faintly barred, vent and undertail-coverts white; iris brown, eyering grey; bill red; legs purplish-brown to blackish. Female lacks pink tinge below. Juvenile is similar to adult, but eyestripe black, upperparts paler or duller and unbarred, underparts lack pinkish tinge, bill black.

Grassy woodlands, dense woods and thickets, bases of inselbergs, dry grassland, abandoned cultivation, tall rank grass near water, and edges of swamps.

Resident. Possibly a wet-season breeding visitor in Ghana coastal thicket in Mar–Nov and in Chad Sahel in Jul–Oct.

Seeds of grasses and herbs; also small insects, including termites (Isop­tera). Takes seeds from fruiting head while perched on a grass stem, and fallen seeds on the ground. Forages in pairs and small groups, sometimes in large flocks; mixes with other estrildids.

Calls include harsh "chuur", "chew-tch-tch", nasal downslurred "jeeeu", and drawn-out, rising "chihooee". Song loud and explosive, "tche-tcheeer!" or "chee-eeer!", second note upslurred, and "t'chu-weee", last note downslurred.

Season Jul–Dec in Senegal and Gambia, recently fledged young in Oct in Togo, laying in Jul and Aug in Nigeria, Jun–Jul in Sudan and Jun in Kenya. Courting male holds a piece of grass in bill, head held high, grass dangling, forehead sleeked, he fluffs belly and flank feathers, bends tail towards female, and extends and flexes legs as he bobs up and down, at times he turns head towards female, waves grass from side to side, and gradually works his way closer to her (first part of this behaviour may be aggressive or greeting display, rather than courtship). Nest a ball-shaped mass of dry grass-heads, with partly covered extension at one side, placed on ground at foot of clump of long grass or dense bush. Clutch 4–5 eggs; incubation 11–12 days; nestling naked, skin pink, after a few days darkening to pinkish-grey, above gape a C-shaped white swelling and below it two white papillae with black base (when mouth closed, anterior lower papilla fits into arc of upper swelling, and posterior papilla behind upper arc, gape appearing as black spot surrounded by white swelling), palate pink with ring of five spots, tongue with black bar; nestling period 17–20 days; young return to nest to roost at night. Nest sometimes parasitized by Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura).

Not globally threatened. Locally common to uncommon. Very patchily distributed in W of range, where generally not common, but very common in some places, e.g. parts of Gambia. Reasonably common in Sudan and Ethiopia; uncommon in Kenya.