Amadina erythrocephala
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Finch sighting in Etosha National Park on a given day, based on 855 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 25th most-seen of the 260 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and December
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Red-headed Finch in Etosha National Park on a given day, against about 20% in March and April, the lowest months.
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.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Red-headed Finch sightings, Etosha National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (South Africa, about 40%) and Chobe National Park (Botswana, under 5%).
Same family: Estrildidae
The closest relatives of the Red-headed Finch that you can see in Etosha National Park (family Estrildidae, Waxbills and Allies) are Blue-breasted Cordonbleu (about 20%), Violet-eared Waxbill (about 20%) and Green-winged Pytilia (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 Etosha National Park (855 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
