# Estrildidae

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**Estrildidae**, or estrildid finches, is a [family](/source/Family_(taxonomy)) of small seed-eating [passerine](/source/Passerine) birds of the [Old World](/source/Old_World) tropics and [Australasia](/source/Australasia). They comprise species commonly known as munias, mannikins, firefinches, parrotfinches and waxbills.

They are gregarious and often colonial [seed eaters](/source/Seed_predation) with short, thick, but pointed bills. They are all similar in structure and habits, but vary widely in plumage colours and patterns.

All estrildids build large, domed nests and lay five to ten white eggs. Many species build roost nests. Some of the firefinches and pytilias are hosts to the [brood-parasitic](/source/Brood_parasitism) [indigobirds](/source/Indigobird) and [whydahs](/source/Indigobird), respectively.

Most are sensitive to cold and require warm, usually tropical, habitats, although a few, such as the [eastern alpine mannikin](/source/Eastern_alpine_mannikin), [mountain firetail](/source/Mountain_firetail), [red-browed finch](/source/Red-browed_finch), and the genus *Stagonopleura*, have adapted to the cooler climates of southern [Australia](/source/Australia) and the highlands of [New Guinea](/source/New_Guinea).

The smallest species of the family is the [Shelley's oliveback](/source/Shelley's_oliveback) (*Nesocharis shelleyi*) at a mere 8.3 cm (3.3 in), although the lightest species is the [black-rumped waxbill](/source/Black-rumped_waxbill) (*Estrilda troglodytes*) at 6 g (0.21 oz). The largest species is the [Java sparrow](/source/Java_sparrow) (*Padda oryzivora*) at 17 cm (6.7 in) and 25 g (0.88 oz).[1]

## Taxonomy

The family Estrildidae was introduced in 1850 by the French naturalist [Charles Lucien Bonaparte](/source/Charles_Lucien_Bonaparte) as "Estreldinae", a spelling variant of the subfamily name.[2][3] In the list of world birds maintained by [AviList](/source/AviList) the family contains 138 species divided into 39 genera.[4] Molecular phylogenetic studies have shown the family Estrildidae is [sister](/source/Sister_taxon) to the family [Viduidae](/source/Viduidae) containing the indigobirds and whydahs. The two families diverged around 15.5 million year ago.[5] The [most recent common ancestor](/source/Most_recent_common_ancestor) of the Estrildidae is estimated to have lived around 10.9 million years ago.[6] A genetic study of the Estrildidae by Urban Olsson and [Per Alström](/source/Per_Alstr%C3%B6m) published in 2020 identified 6 major [clades](/source/Clades). The radiations within these clades occurred between 4.5 and 8.9 million years ago. The authors proposed that each of these clades should be treated as a subfamily.[6] This contrasts with an earlier proposal in which the family was divided into three subfamilies.[7] The following cladogram is based on a study of the Estrildidae by Urban Olsson and [Per Alström](/source/Per_Alstr%C3%B6m) published in 2020. The [locust finch](/source/Locust_finch) in the genus *[Paludipasser](/source/Paludipasser)* was not included in the study.[6]

### Genera list

Image Genus Living species Heteromunia Mathews, 1913 Pictorella mannikin, Heteromunia pectoralis Oreostruthus De Vis, 1898 Mountain firetail, Oreostruthus fuliginosus Stagonopleura Reichenbach, 1850 Beautiful firetail, Stagonopleura bella Red-eared firetail, Stagonopleura oculata Diamond firetail, Stagonopleura guttata Neochmia Gray, GR, 1849 Red-browed finch, Neochmia temporalis Crimson finch, Neochmia phaeton Emblema Gould, 1842 Painted finch, Emblema pictum Star finch, Emblema ruficauda Plum-headed finch, Emblema modesta Stizoptera Oberholser, 1899 Double-barred finch, Stizoptera bichenovii Taeniopygia Reichenbach, 1862 Sunda zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata Australian zebra finch, Taeniopygia castanotis Poephila Gould, 1842 Masked finch, Poephila personata Long-tailed finch, Poephila acuticauda Black-throated finch, Poephila cincta Spermestes Swainson, 1837 Grey-headed silverbill, Spermestes griseicapilla Bronze mannikin, Spermestes cucullata, also known as bronze munia Magpie mannikin, Spermestes fringilloides, also known as magpie munia Black-and-white mannikin, Spermestes bicolor, also known as black-and-white munia Lepidopygia Reichenbach, 1862 Madagascar mannikin, Lepidopygia nana Euodice Reichenbach, 1862 African silverbill, Euodice cantans Indian silverbill, Euodice malabarica also known as white-throated munia Padda Reichenbach, 1850 Java sparrow, Padda oryzivora Timor sparrow, Padda fuscata Mayrimunia Wolters, 1949 Streak-headed mannikin, Mayrimunia tristissima White-spotted mannikin, Mayrimunia cinereovinacea Lonchura Sykes, 1832 Scaly-breasted munia, Lonchura punctulata, also known as nutmeg mannikin or spice finch Black-throated munia, Lonchura kelaarti, also known as Jerdon's mannikin Black-faced munia, Lonchura molucca White-rumped munia, Lonchura striata Dusky munia, Lonchura fuscans White-bellied munia, Lonchura leucogastra New Hanover mannikin, Lonchura nigerrima Tricolored munia, Lonchura malacca Chestnut munia, Lonchura atricapilla White-capped munia, Lonchura ferruginosa White-headed munia, Lonchura maja Pale-headed munia, Lonchura pallida Great-billed mannikin, Lonchura grandis Black-breasted mannikin, Lonchura teerinki Western alpine mannikin, Lonchura montana Eastern alpine mannikin, Lonchura monticola Grey-banded mannikin, Lonchura vana Grey-crowned mannikin, Lonchura nevermanni Hooded mannikin, Lonchura spectabilis Mottled mannikin, Lonchura hunsteini New Hanover mannikin, Lonchura nigerrima Forbes's mannikin, Lonchura forbesi Javan munia, Lonchura leucogastroides Yellow-rumped mannikin, Lonchura flaviprymna Five-colored munia, Lonchura quinticolor Chestnut-breasted mannikin, Lonchura castaneothorax Black mannikin, Lonchura stygia Buff-bellied mannikin, Lonchura melaena Chloebia Reichenbach, 1862 Gouldian finch, Chloebia gouldiae Erythrura Swainson, 1837 Tawny-breasted parrotfinch, Erythrura hyperythra Pin-tailed parrotfinch, Erythrura prasina Green-faced parrotfinch, Erythrura viridifacies Tricolored parrotfinch, Erythrura tricolor Blue-faced parrotfinch, Erythrura trichroa Red-eared parrotfinch, Erythrura coloria Papuan parrotfinch, Erythrura papuana Red-throated parrotfinch, Erythrura psittacea Fiji parrotfinch, Erythrura pealii Red-headed parrotfinch, Erythrura cyaneovirens Royal parrotfinch, Erythrura regia Pink-billed parrotfinch, Erythrura kleinschmidti Nesocharis Alexander, 1903 White-collared oliveback, Nesocharis ansorgei Shelley's oliveback, Nesocharis shelleyi Coccopygia Reichenbach, 1862 Yellow-bellied waxbill, Coccopygia quartinia Swee waxbill, Coccopygia melanotis Angola waxbill, Coccopygia bocagei Mandingoa Hartert, E, 1919 Green-backed twinspot, Mandingoa nitidula Cryptospiza Salvadori, 1884 Red-faced crimsonwing, Cryptospiza reichenovii Abyssinian crimsonwing, Cryptospiza salvadorii Dusky crimsonwing, Cryptospiza jacksoni Shelley's crimsonwing, Cryptospiza shelleyi Parmoptila Cassin, 1859 Red-fronted antpecker, Parmoptila rubrifrons Jameson's antpecker, Parmoptila jamesoni – often included in P. rubrifrons Woodhouse's antpecker, Parmoptila woodhousei Nigrita Strickland, 1843 White-breasted nigrita, Nigrita fusconotus Chestnut-breasted nigrita, Nigrita bicolor Pale-fronted nigrita, Nigrita luteifrons Grey-headed nigrita, Nigrita canicapillus Delacourella Wolters, 1949 Grey-headed oliveback, Delacourella capistrata Brunhilda Reichenbach, 1862 Black-faced waxbill, Brunhilda erythronotos Black-cheeked waxbill, Brunhilda charmosyna Glaucestrilda Roberts, 1922 Lavender waxbill, Glaucestrilda caerulescens Grey waxbill, Glaucestrilda perreini Cinderella waxbill, Glaucestrilda thomensis Estrilda Swainson, 1827 Black-crowned waxbill, Estrilda nonnula Black-headed waxbill, Estrilda atricapilla Kandt's waxbill, Estrilda kandti Orange-cheeked waxbill, Estrilda melpoda Anambra waxbill, Estrilda poliopareia Fawn-breasted waxbill, Estrilda paludicola Common waxbill, Estrilda astrild Black-lored waxbill, Estrilda nigriloris Black-rumped waxbill, Estrilda troglodytes Crimson-rumped waxbill, Estrilda rhodopyga Arabian waxbill, Estrilda rufibarba Ortygospiza Sundevall, 1850 Quailfinch, Ortygospiza atricollis Paludipasser Neave, 1909 Locust finch, Paludipasser locustella Amadina Swainson, 1827 Cut-throat finch, Amadina fasciata Red-headed finch, Amadina erythrocephala Amandava Blyth, 1836 Red avadavat, Amandava amandava also known as red munia Green avadavat, Amandava formosa Orange-breasted waxbill, Amandava subflava Granatina Sharpe, 1890 Purple grenadier, Granatina ianthinogaster Violet-eared waxbill, Granatina granatina Uraeginthus Cabanis, 1851 Blue waxbill, Uraeginthus angolensis Red-cheeked cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus bengalus Blue-capped cordon-bleu, Uraeginthus cyanocephalus Spermophaga Swainson, 1837 Grant's bluebill, Spermophaga poliogenys Western bluebill, Spermophaga haematina Red-headed bluebill, Spermophaga ruficapilla Pyrenestes Swainson, 1837 Crimson seedcracker, Pyrenestes sanguineus Black-bellied seedcracker, Pyrenestes ostrinus Lesser seedcracker, Pyrenestes minor Pytilia Swainson, 1837 Orange-winged pytilia, Pytilia afra Red-winged pytilia, Pytilia phoenicoptera Red-billed pytilia, Pytilia lineata Green-winged pytilia, Pytilia melba Yellow-winged pytilia, Pytilia hypogrammica Euschistospiza Wolters, 1943 Dybowski's twinspot, Euschistospiza dybowskii Dusky twinspot, Euschistospiza cinereovinacea Hypargos Reichenbach, 1862 Red-throated twinspot, Hypargos niveoguttatus Pink-throated twinspot, Hypargos margaritatus Clytospiza Shelley, 1896 Brown twinspot, Clytospiza monteiri Lagonosticta Cabanis, 1851 Bar-breasted firefinch, Lagonosticta rufopicta Brown firefinch, Lagonosticta nitidula Red-billed firefinch, Lagonosticta senegala Black-bellied firefinch, Lagonosticta rara African firefinch, Lagonosticta rubricata Jameson's firefinch, Lagonosticta rhodopareia Mali firefinch, Lagonosticta virata Rock firefinch, Lagonosticta sanguinodorsalis Black-faced firefinch, Lagonosticta larvata Chad firefinch, Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis

## References

1. ["Estrildid FINCHes"](http://carolinabirds.org/HTML/Finch_Estrildid.htm)

1. Bonaparte, Charles Lucien (1850). [*Conspectus Generum Avium*](https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/43549465) (in Latin). Vol. 1. Leiden: E.J. Brill. p. 450.

1. Bock, Walter J. (1994). [*History and Nomenclature of Avian Family-Group Names*](http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/830). Vol. 222. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. New York: American Museum of Natural History. pp. 117, 156, 218, 228. [hdl:2246/830](https://hdl.handle.net/2246/830)

1. AviList Core Team (2025). ["AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2025"](http://www.avilist.org/checklist/v2025/). [doi:10.2173/avilist.v2025](https://doi.org/10.2173/avilist.v2025). Retrieved 19 November 2025.

1. Oliveros, C.H. et al. (2019). "Earth history and the passerine superradiation". *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States*. **116** (16): 7916–7925. [Bibcode:2019PNAS..116.7916O](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019PNAS..116.7916O). [doi:10.1073/pnas.1813206116](https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1813206116). [PMC 6475423](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6475423). [PMID 30936315](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30936315)

1. Olsson, Urban & Alström, Per (2020). "A comprehensive phylogeny and taxonomic evaluation of the waxbills (Aves: Estrildidae)". *Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution*. **146**. [Bibcode:2020MolPE.14606757O](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020MolPE.14606757O). [doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106757](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2020.106757). [PMID 32028027](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32028027). [S2CID 211048731](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:211048731)

1. Payne, Robert B. (2010). "Family Estrildidae (Waxbills)". *Handbook of the Birds of the World*. Vol. 15: Weavers to New World Warblers. Barcelona, Spain: Lynx Edicions. pp. 234–377. ISBN 978-84-96553-68-2.

## External links

- [Zipcode Zoo: Estrildidae](https://web.archive.org/web/20120329012410/http://zipcodezoo.com/Key/Animalia/Estrildidae_Family.asp=)
- [Internet Bird Collection.com: Estrildidae videos, photos and sounds](http://ibc.lynxeds.com/family/waxbills-estrildidae)
- [Waxbill Finch Society](http://www.waxbillfinchsociety.org.uk/) — specialist waxbill bird society based in the UK

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Estrildidae](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrildidae) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estrildidae?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.