Black-cheeked Waxbill
Brunhilda charmosyna
Avilumen editorial team ·

The black-cheeked waxbill or red-rumped waxbill is a common species of estrildid finch found in east Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi).
The black-cheeked waxbill or red-rumped waxbill (Brunhilda charmosyna) is a common species of estrildid finch found in east Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 400,000 km2 (150,000 sq mi).
It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Tanzania. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Two subspecies are recognised:
B. c. charmosyna (Reichenow, 1881) – south Sudan, Ethiopia, south Somalia, northeast Uganda and north Kenya
B. c. kiwanukae (Van Someren, 1919) – south Kenya and Tanzania
Text adapted from Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Brunhilda
- Conservation status
- Not evaluated
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Care guide
Canary and Finch Care Guide: Diet, Housing and Breeding
How to care for canaries, zebra finches, Gouldian finches and other finches: diet, flight cage setup, health, song and breeding. A guide for bird keepers.
Read the guide →Illustration gallery
6 illustrations of Brunhilda charmosyna (Black-cheeked Waxbill) in different styles, true to its real plumage. Shown watermarked; the art pack includes the high-resolution originals, ready to print.

Watercolor 
Vintage plate 
Ink 
Oil 
Realistic 
Colored pencil
Illustrations based on the photograph by claudekolwelter (CC BY 4.0), from Wikimedia Commons.
Digital editions
HD Digital Art Pack — Black-cheeked Waxbill
Digital download: 6 high-resolution illustrations of the Black-cheeked Waxbill (Brunhilda charmosyna), print-ready. This is a digital file; no animal or physical item is included.
AI Avatar — Black-cheeked Waxbill
Generate an avatar fusing your face with the Black-cheeked Waxbill (Brunhilda charmosyna). Delivered digitally in 8K, watermark-free. Digital product; no animals are sold or brokered.
Instant download. No live birds are sold.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Brunhilda charmosyna (Black-cheeked Waxbill) endangered?
- The IUCN Red List places Brunhilda charmosyna, commonly known as the Black-cheeked Waxbill, in the «Not evaluated» category. «Not evaluated» means the IUCN has not yet assessed this species.
- What family does Brunhilda charmosyna (Black-cheeked Waxbill) belong to?
- Brunhilda charmosyna (Black-cheeked Waxbill) belongs to the family Estrildidae, in the order Passeriformes.
- What colour is Brunhilda charmosyna (Black-cheeked Waxbill)?
- The plumage of Brunhilda charmosyna (Black-cheeked Waxbill) combines these colours: Brown and Red.
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