23-2-2026 MADIKWE GAME RESERVE, SOUTH AFRICA - SOUTH AFRICAN RED BILLED QUELEA (FEMALE) (Quelea quelea ssp. lathamii)

The red-billed quelea (/ˈkwiːliə/; Quelea quelea), also known as the red-billed weaver or red-billed dioch, is a small, seasonally nomadic, sparrow-like bird of the weaver family, Ploceidae, native to sub-Saharan Africa. It is approximately 12 cm (4.7 in) long and weighs 15 to 26 g (0.53 to 0.92 oz).

It was named by Linnaeus in 1758, who considered it a bunting, but Ludwig7 Reichenbach assigned it in 1850 to the new genus Quelea. Three subspecies are recognised, with Q. q. quelea occurring roughly from Senegal to Chad, Q. q. aethiopica from Sudan to Somalia and Tanzania, and Q. q. lathamii from Gabon to Mozambique and South Africa. Non-breeding birds have light underparts, striped brown upper parts, yellow-edged flight feathers and a reddish bill. Breeding females attain a yellowish bill. Breeding males have a black (or rarely white) facial mask, surrounded by a purplish, pinkish, rusty or yellowish wash on the head and breast. The species avoids forests, deserts and colder areas such as those at high altitude and in southern South Africa. It constructs oval roofed nests woven from strips of grass hanging from thorny branches, sugar cane or reeds. It breeds in very large colonies

30-3-2018 OUDTSCHOORN, SOUTH AFRICA - RED BILLED QUELEA (FEMALE) (Quelea quelea)

The Red-billed Quelea, also known as the Red-billed Weaver or Red-billed Dioch, is a diminutive migratory bird, part of the weaver family Ploceidae. It measures approximately 12 cm in length and weighs between 15 to 26 grams. This sparrow-like bird is native to the vast expanses of Sub-Saharan Africa.

The Red-billed Quelea is characterized by its heavy, cone-shaped bill, which is red in non-breeding males and females, and orange to yellow in breeding females. Breeding males are distinguished by a black or occasionally white facial mask, surrounded by a colorful wash on the head and breast, which can be purplish, pinkish, rusty, or yellowish. Non-breeding plumage is less vibrant, with light underparts and striped brown upper parts.

This species typically inhabits tropical and subtropical areas with a seasonal semi-arid climate, avoiding dense forests, deserts, and colder regions. It is often found in dry thornbush grasslands, including the Sahel, and requires proximity to water sources for daily drinking.

The Red-billed Quelea's distribution covers most of Sub-Saharan Africa. It is a highly migratory bird, moving seasonally in response to the availability of its primary food source, seeds of annual grasses.