Bird name:

Lavender Waxbill

Estrilda caerulescens

Order

PASSERIFORMES

Family

Estrilid Finches (Estrildidae)

Code 4

LAVW

Code 6

ESTCAE

ITIS

179611

Breeding Location:

Grassland with scattered trees, Forests, Bushes and shrubs

Breeding Type:

Monogamous

Breeding Population:

Expanding

Egg Color:

White

Number of Eggs:

4 - 6

Incubation Days:

12 - 15

Egg Incubator:

Both sexes

Nest Material:

Long grasses, coconut fibers, and plant stems

Migration:

Nonmigratory

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General

Lavender Waxbill: Native to tropical West Africa. Body is gray overall, face has black eyestripe, flanks have a few small white spots. Rump, tail, and tail coverts are red. Bill is red to black, legs and feet are gray. Sexes are similar, females may be slightly smaller and have a slightly paler belly. Juveniles look like a dull version of the adult, lacks white spots on flanks.

Range and Habitat

Lavender Waxbill: First recorded on the Island of Oahu in 1965. They are now found on Hawaii and Maui. Prefers dry scrub habitat, lawns, parks, and gardens. Native to tropical West Africa.

Breeding and Nesting

Lavender Waxbill: Four to six white eggs are laid in a nest built in a forked branch of a tree or bush out of long grasses, plant stems, and coconut fibers. Eggs are incubated for 12-15 days by both parents. Chicks fledge within 16-18 days of hatching.

Foraging and Feeding

Lavender Waxbill: Feeds mostly on the small seeds of fine grasses. Also eats spiders and small insects.

Readily Eats

Seeds

Vocalization

Lavender Waxbill: Song is a quiet "see-see-see-swree" and call is a metallic "chip".

Similar Species

Not likely to be confused with any other species in its range.

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Bird Call Credits: The Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Martyn Stewart, http://www.naturesound.org, Redmond, Washington USA. The reuse or copying of bird calls in this database is strictly forbidden.

Belly

The ventral part of the bird, or the area between the flanks on each side and the crissum and breast. Flight muscles are located between the belly and the breast.

Face

The front part of the head consisting of the bill, eyes, cheeks and chin.

Rump

The area between the uppertail coverts and the back of the bird.

Tail coverts

The short tail feathers covering the base of the long tail feathers.

4 and 6 letter alpha codes

The four letter common name alpha code is is derived from the first two letters of the common first name and the first two letters of common last name. The six letter species name alpha code is derived from the first three letters of the scientific name (genus) and the first three letters of the scientific name (species). See (1) below for the rules used to create the codes..

Four-letter (for English common names) and six-letter (for scientific names) species alpha codes were developed by Pyle and DeSante (2003, North American Bird-Bander 28:64-79) to reflect A.O.U. taxonomy and nomenclature (A.O.U. 1998) as modified by Supplements 42 (Auk 117:847-858, 2000) and 43 (Auk 119:897-906, 2002). The list has been updated by Pyle and DeSante to reflect changes reported by the A.O.U from 2003 through 2006.

Field Guide to Birds of North America