Black-faced Waxbill
Brunhilda erythronotos
Avilumen editorial team ·
The black-faced waxbill is a common species of estrildid finch found in southern Africa. It is found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern.
The black-faced waxbill (Brunhilda erythronotos) is a common species of estrildid finch found in southern Africa.
It is found in Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The IUCN has classified the species as being of least concern.
Taxonomy
The black-faced waxbill was formally described in 1817 by the French ornithologist Louis Pierre Vieillot and given the binary name Fringilla erythronotos. The specific epithet combines the Ancient Greek eruthros meaning "red" and
-nōtos meaning "-backed". The type locality is Kurrichane (Kaditshwene) in the North West province of South Africa. This species was formerly placed in the genus Estrilda. When a molecular phylogenetic study published in 2020 found that Estrilda was paraphyletic, the genus Brunhilda was resurrected for this species and the black-cheeked waxbill.
Two subspecies are recognised:
B. e. delamerei (Sharpe, 1900) – southwest Uganda, west Kenya to central Tanzania
B. e. erythronotos (Vieillot, 1817) – Angola and Namibia to Zimbabwe and north South Africa
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 erythronotos (Black-faced 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 Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa (CC BY 2.0), from Wikimedia Commons.
Digital editions
HD Digital Art Pack — Black-faced Waxbill
Digital download: 6 high-resolution illustrations of the Black-faced Waxbill (Brunhilda erythronotos), print-ready. This is a digital file; no animal or physical item is included.
AI Avatar — Black-faced Waxbill
Generate an avatar fusing your face with the Black-faced Waxbill (Brunhilda erythronotos). Delivered digitally in 8K, watermark-free. Digital product; no animals are sold or brokered.
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Frequently asked questions
- Is Brunhilda erythronotos (Black-faced Waxbill) endangered?
- The IUCN Red List places Brunhilda erythronotos, commonly known as the Black-faced Waxbill, in the «Not evaluated» category. «Not evaluated» means the IUCN has not yet assessed this species.
- What family does Brunhilda erythronotos (Black-faced Waxbill) belong to?
- Brunhilda erythronotos (Black-faced Waxbill) belongs to the family Estrildidae, in the order Passeriformes.
- What colour is Brunhilda erythronotos (Black-faced Waxbill)?
- The plumage of Brunhilda erythronotos (Black-faced Waxbill) combines these colours: Black and Red.
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