CreatureData

Common waxbill

Estrilda astrild (Linnaeus, 1758)

LCLeast Concernsongbirds

The common waxbill (Estrilda astrild) is a species in the family Estrildidae, order Passeriformes. Recorded adults weigh 7.4 g to 8.29 g. Its IUCN Red List status is Least Concern.

Common waxbill (Estrilda astrild)
Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Quick facts about the common waxbill

Weight
7.4 g – 8.29 gsrc for Weight
Length
Not recorded
Lifespan
Not recorded
Diet
Granivoresrc for Diet
Main food
Not recorded
Habitat
grasslandsrc for Habitat
Egg incubation
11.5 dayssrc for Egg incubation
Young per litter or clutch
4.9src for Young per litter or clutch
Lifestyle
Generalistsrc for Lifestyle
Migration
Sedentarysrc for Migration
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN)src for Conservation status
Countries on record
Not recorded

Where does the common waxbill live?

Not recorded

What is the common waxbill?

Quoted from WikipediaCC BY-SA 4.0

The common waxbill (Estrilda astrild), also known as the St Helena waxbill, is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. It is native to sub-Saharan Africa but has been introduced to many other regions of the world and now has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km2. It is popular and easy to keep in captivity.

From the Wikipedia article “Common waxbill” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Common_waxbill&oldid=1359652473), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.

Is the common waxbill endangered?

The common waxbill is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List: it is not currently at risk of extinction.

  1. LCLeast Concern
  2. NTNear Threatened
  3. VUVulnerable
  4. ENEndangered
  5. CRCritically Endangered
  6. EWExtinct in the Wild
  7. EXExtinct

Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Least Concern species.

How is the common waxbill classified?

  1. kingdomAnimalia
  2. phylumChordata
  3. classAves
  4. orderPasseriformes
  5. familyEstrildidae
  6. genusEstrilda
  7. SpeciesEstrilda astrild (Linnaeus, 1758)

Synonyms Loxia astrild

Other names and names in other languages (57)
  • Botswanan common waxbillEnglish
  • COWAEnglish
  • RooibekkieAfrikaans
  • RooibeksysieAfrikaans
  • Rooibeksysie (Rooibekkie)Afrikaans
  • شمعي المنقار الشائعArabic
  • شمعي المنقار بوتسوانا الشائعArabic
  • Astrilde de coraletAragonese
  • picubermeyu senegalésAsturian
  • Вълниста астрилдаBulgarian
  • bec de corall senegalèsCatalan
  • astrild vlnkovanýCzech
  • cwyrbig cyffredinWelsh
  • HelenaastrildDanish
  • Helena-astrildDanish
  • WellenastrildGerman
  • ordinara estrildoEsperanto
  • Pico de coralSpanish
  • Estrilda comúnSpanish
  • vahanokk-amadiinEstonian
  • vahanokkaFinnish
  • Astrild onduléFrench
  • Astrild à bec de corailFrench
  • Bec roseFrench
  • Bengali à bec rougeFrench
  • CéirghobIrish
  • Gob kereaghScottish Gaelic
  • Bico de coral comúnGalician
  • פרושית אדומת-משקפייםHebrew
  • prugasta estrildaCroatian
  • asztrildHungarian
  • Helena-pintyHungarian
  • FagurstrildiIcelandic
  • Astrilde di Sant'ElenaItalian
  • オナガカエデチョウJapanese
  • paprastoji astrildaLithuanian
  • viļņainais vasknibisLatvian
  • Sint-HelenafazantjeDutch
  • vatreastrildNorwegian
  • astryld falistyPolish
  • BiquinhoPortuguese
  • Bico-de-lacrePortuguese
  • bico-de-lacre-comumPortuguese
  • Bico-de-lápisPortuguese
  • CasquequePortuguese
  • Волнистый астрильдRussian
  • GássenjunniNorthern Sami
  • astrilda vlnkovanáSlovak
  • rečna astrildaSlovenian
  • Talasasta astrildaSerbian
  • ViniTahitian
  • MumgagaTurkish
  • RamotsiisanengTswana
  • астрильд смугастийUkrainian
  • 梅花雀Chinese
  • 橫斑梅花雀Chinese
  • iNtiyaneZulu

Catalogue of LifeWikipediaiNaturalistTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List

Relatives of the common waxbill

Other species in the same genus Estrilda.

CompareCommon waxbill vs Black-rumped waxbillCommon waxbill vs Orange-cheeked waxbillCommon waxbill vs Black-headed waxbillCommon waxbill vs Crimson-rumped waxbill

Common questions

Answered only where our data holds the answer.

How big is the common waxbill?

An adult common waxbill weighs 7.4 g – 8.29 g, according to values recorded on Wikidata.

Is the common waxbill endangered?

The common waxbill is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, meaning it is not currently at risk of extinction.

What kind of animal is the common waxbill?

The common waxbill (Estrilda astrild) belongs to the family Estrildidae in the order Passeriformes.

Sources and how to cite this page

Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.

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APA

CreatureData. (2026). Common waxbill (Estrilda astrild). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-waxbill

MLA

“Common waxbill (Estrilda astrild).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-waxbill.

BibTeX
@misc{common_waxbill_2026,
  title = {Common waxbill (Estrilda astrild)},
  author = {{CreatureData}},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-waxbill},
  note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}