African Quailfinch

The African Quailfinch is about half the size of a house sparrow. The plumage of the male African Quailfinch differs slightly from that of the female. The African quailfinch is a small and compact with dark grey underparts, barred breasts and flanks, and an orange-buff central belly. The feathers around its eye and on its chin are white. Breeding males have a red bill, while the bills of females and non-breeding males have a brown upper mandible and a red lower mandible. The female is paler than the male and has less distinctive barring. Juveniles are similar to hens but have fainter barring and a darker bill. Location and Ecosystem: The African quailfinch, spectacled quailfinch, or white-chinned quailfinch (Ortygospiza fuscocrissa), is a common species of estrildid finch found in eastern and southern Africa. The African Quailfinch is common in almost all parts of Africa, except the far northern parts – its range stretching from Liberia to Lake Chad and from southern Sudan to Zimb