Birdsong field guide
Cinderella Waxbill
Glaucestrilda thomensis
A small, delicately plumaged lavender-grey finch notable for its striking crimson flanks and rump.
What it sounds like
High-pitched, thin 'tseee-tseee' whistles and soft, melodic twittering.
Reference call, compare with what you heard
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Field notes
- It is one of the most range-restricted estrildids in Southern Africa, largely confined to the Kunene River drainage.
- The species displays a characteristic sideways tail-flicking motion when foraging or socialising.
- Its diet consists primarily of small grass seeds, but it is also known to consume nectar and small insects.
- It is currently listed as Near Threatened due to its localized population and the threat of the illegal cage-bird trade.
- Nests are globular structures made of grass with a side entrance, typically hidden deep within dense thorn bushes.
Habitat
Arid thorn scrub, riparian thickets, and dry savanna near permanent water sources.
Range
Southwestern Angola and northwestern Namibia.
Similar & commonly confused birds
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