Amadina erythrocephala
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5%
The red-headed finch (Amadina erythrocephala) (also known as the paradise finch) is a common species of estrildid finch found in Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,600,000 km2 (620,000 sq mi). It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Males have vibrant red heads and chests while the females are duller. The resemblance to the cut-throat finch is unmistakable. The red-headed and cut-throat finch are the only members of the genus Amadina. Amadinas with their heavy beaks resemble members of the Lonchura, so they are actually more closely related to the Pytilias such as the Melba finch.
The red-headed finch was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia eryocephala, a misspelling of Loxia erythrocephala. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek eruthros meaning "red" with -kephalos meaning "headed". Linnaeus based his description on "The Sparrow of Paradise" that had been described and illustrated in 1751 by the English naturalist George Edwards in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Edwards' specimen had... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Etosha National Park | 🇳🇦 Namibia | |
| 2 | Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Chobe National Park | 🇧🇼 Botswana | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Johannesburg | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Pretoria | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Cape Town | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Parc des oiseaux | 🇫🇷 France |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Finch sighting in Cape Town on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 191st most-seen of the 196 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Finch in Cape Town on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red-headed Finch sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 cities where we can rate Red-headed Finch sightings, Cape Town ranks 4th at under 5%. The best odds are in Johannesburg (South Africa, about 20%), Durban (South Africa, about 10%) and Pretoria (South Africa, about 10%).
Same family: Estrildidae
The closest relatives of the Red-headed Finch that you can see in Cape Town (family Estrildidae, Waxbills and Allies) are Bronze Mannikin (about 10%) and Common Swee Waxbill (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red-headed Finch is recorded against all the birds logged in Cape Town (12 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
