Red-billed Firefinch

Lagonosticta senegala

Other Names

    Amarante du Sénégal, Amarante à bec rouge, Sénégali amarante, Amarante commun   Senegalamarant   Bengalí Senegalés   Rödnäbbad amarant   Vuurvink   Fringuello sanguineo

World: Africa S of 20°N except for the western equatorial lowland forests.

Kenya: Common in higher rainfall areas but mostly absent from the arid northern and eastern regions.

The most common of Kenya's Firefinches, this is an approachable bird which is often found around human habitation. They feed in pairs or family groups on the ground. The adult male shows a lot of pink and red in its plumage but the females and juveniles are predominantly brown with the red confined to the rump and face. The individual pictured above is a juvenile which can be distinguished from the female by its lack of spots and by its two-tone bill (brown above and dull pink below). The Red-billed Firefinch is heavily parasitised by the Village Indigobird.