Euplectes hordeaceus  BLACK-WINGED BISHOP.  Tall grass.  Senegambia, s Mauritius, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, São Tomé I., Gabon, Congo, C. African Rep., s Chad, cw Sudan, n,ne Zaire, sw Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, sw,c Angola, Zambia, e Zimbabwe and n,c Mozambique, incl. Zanzibar and Pemba islands.
Euplectes franciscanus  ORANGE BISHOP.  Tall grass in moist areas.  Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, s Niger, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, n Cameroon, n C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, and c,s Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, nw,sw Somalia, ne Zaire, n Uganda and n,ec Kenya.  Introduced in Bermuda, Puerto Rico.  Sometimes treated as a race of E. orix.  Includes E. zavattari.

Euplectes orix  RED BISHOP.  Tall grass in moist areas.  Angola, sc,ce,se Zaire, sw Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, sw,cs Kenya, w,c Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Mozambique s to s S. Africa.
Euplectes nigroventris  ZANZIBAR BISHOP. Grass and bushes in swampy areas.  Se Kenya, e Tanzania, incl. Zanzibar and several small is., and n Mozambique.
Euplectes aureus  GOLDEN-BACKED BISHOP.  Dry scrub.  Coastal cw Angola and São Tomé I., where probably introduced.
Euplectes capensis  YELLOW BISHOP.  Grassland with scattered trees, bushes, marshy areas.  Mts. of se Nigeria and Cameroon; Gulf of Guinea islands; mts. of Ethiopia; lowlands and mts. from Angola, s,e Zaire, s Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Kenya s through Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, ne Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to e,s S. Africa.

Euplectes axillaris  FAN-TAILED WIDOWBIRD.  Swamps, wet grass, riparian vegetation.  Locally in s Mali, Niger on the Niger R.; from n Nigeria, sw Cameroon, Congo, C. African Rep., sw,sc,ce,ne Zaire, s Chad, s Sudan, w,wc Ethiopia and sw Somalia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, s Zambia, Malawi, s Angola, extreme ne Namibia, n Botswana, ne Zimbabwe, Mozambique and se S. Africa.
Euplectes macrourus  YELLOW-SHOULDERED WIDOWBIRD.  Wet grassland, swamps.  Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, s Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, n,ne Zaire, C. African Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, w,c Ethiopia, Eritrea, s Uganda, Burundi, w Kenya s to w,n Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and w Tanzania.

Contrary to the statement by Sibley and Monroe (1990:688) birds with black mantles do not occur together with those with yellow mantles anywhere in East Africa.  However, the East African List Committee treat them as conspecific pending further evidence (D. A. Turner, pers. comm.).

Euplectes albonotatus  WHITE-WINGED WIDOWBIRD. Tall grass in acacia savanna.  Cw,se Sudan, sw,c Ethiopia, ne,ce,se Zaire, Rwanda, ne Burundi, Uganda, Kenya and n,c,sw,s Tanzania; Gabon, São Tomé Island and C. African Rep. s to w,sw Angola and extreme ne Namibia, c,e Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, n,e Botswana and Zimbabwe to e S. Africa.
Euplectes ardens  RED-COLLARED WIDOWBIRD.  Tall herbaceous vegetation, grass.  Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, s Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, C. African Rep., s,se Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Angola, cw Zimbabwe, w Mozambique and e S. Africa.

All black males occur at scattered localities in the range of  red-collared individuals and intermediates are known from Angola, Zimbabwe and Tanzania.  The situation between red-naped birds and red-collared birds is different in that there is altitudinal segregation with a single type at any one locality; were it not for the regular occurrence of color morphs in this genus, they would be recognized as a distinct species.

Euplectes hartlaubi  MARSH WIDOWBIRD.  Swamps, grassland.  Locally in Nigeria, the Cameroon highlands, Gabon, Congo s to w Zaire and Angola and e to Zambia and sw Tanzania; e Uganda, w Kenya.
Euplectes psammocromius  BUFF-SHOULDERED WIDOWBIRD.  Swamps, grassland.  Highlands of sw,sc Tanzania, extreme ne Zambia and n Malawi.
Euplectes progne  LONG-TAILED WIDOWBIRD.  Open grassland, dry short grass.  Locally in Kenya highlands, 1800-2750 m, e of Rift V.; from c Angola and sw,sc,se Zaire e to w,cn Zambia; Botswana and e S. Africa.
Euplectes jacksoni  JACKSON'S WIDOWBIRD.  Grasslands.  Highlands, 1500-2750 m of w,c,sw Kenya and extreme cn Tanzania.

Anomalospiza imberbis  PARASITIC WEAVER.  Moist grassland.  Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, extreme s Sudan, w,c Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, sw,cs,se Zaire, Zambia, Malawi, extreme ne Namibia, s Angola, n Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and ne S. Africa.  Parasitiizes Cisticola and Prinia.  Affinities uncertain; may not be ploceine.
Amblyospiza albifrons  GROSBEAK WEAVER.  Dense grass and reedbeds near water, trees.  Lowlands to 1800 m of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Zaire, C. Afr. Rep., s Sudan, s Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, incl. Zanzibar, Mafia and Pemba islands, Zambia, Malawi, nw Angola, extreme ne Namibia, ne Botswana, e Zimbabwe, Mozambique and se S. Africa.

Rufous-headed males occur in w Africa e to n Zaire and s to Angola; brown-headed males from Sudan and Ethiopia s to Zambia; black-headed males from e Zaire, Uganda and Kenya s to w Zambia.  These morphological types are randomly distributed in e Africa and appear to be color morphs, apparently with only one type in any breeding population; thus, they may represent separate species.

Subfamily ESTRILDINAE:  Antpeckers, Negrofinches, Waxbills, etc.
 Estrildine finches sometimes have been treated as closer to fringillids than to passerids, but DNA hybridization supports the passerid association.  The subfamily consists of a varied group of generally colorful paleotropic species (Estrildini), and a smaller group of species (Viduini) confined to the Afrotropical region and which are brood parasites on the estrildines.  Nestling estrildines usually have distinctively patterned and colored mouth linings, which often are closely matched by their viduine brood parasites.  DNA hybridization and mtDNA profiles indicate that the viduines are a single, closely-related lineage that evolved from an unspecified estrildine ancestral lineage.

Tribe ESTRILDINI:  The estrildines are popular with aviculturists and the generic classification of these birds may be inflated.  The genus Parmoptila has been referred to several families, but its nesting biology supports its classification as an insectivorous estrildine.  DNAs have not been available for study.

Parmoptila rubrifrons  RED-FRONTED ANTPECKER.  (Formerly Jameson's Antpecker).  Forest, edge.

The name rubrifrons has priority over jamesoni for this species.  These widely allopatric populations are considered conspecific by Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) who note that the range of P. woodhousei is between the ranges of P. r. rubrifrons and P. r. jamesoni.  These authors use the English name "Flower-pecker" for the species of Parmoptila, but this name has long been applied to the genus Dicaeum in the Nectariniidae.
 P. r. rubrifrons.  Locally in s Mali, Sierra Leone, ne Liberia, s Ivory Coast and sc Ghana.
 P. r. jamesoni.  E Zaire.  This may be a separate species.

Parmoptila woodhousei  WOODHOUSE'S ANTPECKER or RED-HEADED ANTPECKER.  Forest, edge.  Locally in se Nigeria, s Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, s C. African Rep., Uganda, c,sc Zaire and s to n Angola and sw Zaire.
Nigrita fusconota  WHITE-BREASTED NEGROFINCH.  Forest, shrubs, edge.  Locally in se Guinea, s Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, s Nigeria, s Cameroon, Bioko I., Gabon, Congo, C. African Rep., n,ne Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, nw Kenya and s to n Angola and sc,ce Zaire.
Nigrita bicolor  CHESTNUT-BREASTED NEGROFINCH.  Forest, undergrowth, edge.  Senegambia, se Guinea, s Mali, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Príncipe I., Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, s C. African Rep., n,ne Zaire, w Uganda and w Kenya and s to nw Angola and sc,ce Zaire.

Nigrita luteifrons  PALE-FRONTED NEGROFINCH.  Forest.  Sierra Leone, se Ghana, s Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko I., C. African Rep., Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, n,ne Zaire s to nw Angola, sw,c,ce Zaire and w Uganda.
Nigrita canicapilla  GREY-HEADED NEGROFINCH.  Forest, open areas.  Sierra Leone, Liberia, se Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko I., Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, C. African Rep. and n,ne Zaire, s Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and mts. of Kenya s to nw,cw Angola, sw,cs,ce Zaire and ne Tanzania; mts. of sw Tanzania, along Zaire border.
Nesocharis shelleyi  FERNANDO PO OLIVEBACK.  Forest, woodland, grassland with trees.  Mts., 1200-1500 of se Nigeria, Cameroon and Bioko I. (Fernando Po), where it ranges to sea level.  Sometimes considered conspecific with N. ansorgei.

Nesocharis ansorgei  WHITE-COLLARED OLIVEBACK.  Marshy areas with trees, bushes, grass.  Mts., 1000-2000 m of ne,ce Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, w,cs Uganda and nw Tanzania.
Nesocharis capistrata  GREY-HEADED OLIVEBACK.  Savanna woodland.  S Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep., s Sudan, n Zaire and nw Uganda.
Pytilia phoenicoptera  RED-WINGED PYTILIA.  Wooded tall grass savanna.  Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, s Mali, Sierra Leone, n Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, s Niger, Ghana, Togo, Benin, n Nigeria, c Cameroon, C. African Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, s Ethiopia, extreme ne Zaire and n Uganda.
Pytilia lineata  LINEATED PYTILIA.  Wooded tall grass savanna.  Highlands to 1800 m of w,c Ethiopia.  Often regarded as conspecific with P. phoenicoptera.

Pytilia afra  ORANGE-WINGED PYTILIA.  Woodland.  Sw Congo, Cabinda, s,ce,ne Zaire, s Sudan and s,c Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, incl. Zanzibar I., to sw,e Angola, Malawi, Zambia, ne Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and ne S. Africa.
Pytilia melba  GREEN-WINGED PYTILIA.  Bushes, thorn scrub in savanna.  Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, n Ivory Coast, s Niger, ne Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, C. Afr. Rep., L. Chad area, s Chad and c,s Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe to s Angola, s Namibia, Botswana and ne S. Africa.
Pytilia hypogrammica  RED-FACED PYTILIA.  Open woodland, scrub.  Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep. and nw Zaire.

Mandingoa nitidula  GREEN-BACKED TWINSPOT.  Thickets, scrub, forest edge.  Lowlands to 1800 m in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, s Cameroon, Bioko I., Gabon, Congo, ne,ne Zaire, extreme se Sudan and s Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and s to cw Angola, cs,se Zaire, n Zambia, Malawi, e Zimbabwe, Mozambique and se S. Africa.
Cryptospiza reichenovii  RED-FACED CRIMSON-WING.  Forest undergrowth, edge.  Locally in mts. of se Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko I., w Angola, ce Zaire, w Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, se Kenya, ne,e,s Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, nw Mozambique and e Zimbabwe.  This and the following species are altitudinally separate, with C. salvadorii at higher elevations where they overlap in e Zaire.
Cryptospiza salvadorii  ABYSSINIAN CRIMSON-WING.  Forest undergrowth, edge.  Locally in mts. of ce Zaire, w Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, extreme se Sudan, c,s Ethiopia, Kenya and ne Tanzania.

Cryptospiza jacksoni  DUSKY CRIMSON-WING.  Forest undergrowth, edge.  Mts., 1500-3050 m, of ne,ce Zaire, w Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.
Cryptospiza shelleyi  SHELLEY'S CRIMSON-WING.  Forest undergrowth.  Mts., 1550-3400 m of ce Zaire, w Uganda, Burundi and sw Rwanda.
Pyrenestes sanguineus  CRIMSON SEEDCRACKER.  Forest clearings, thickets.  Senegambia, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Ivory Coast.  Sometimes included in P. ostrinus.
Pyrenestes ostrinus  BLACK-BELLIED SEEDCRACKER.  Forest clearings, thickets, swamps.  Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, C. African Rep., ne Zaire and Uganda and s to n Angola, n Zambia, Kenya, nw,s Tanzania and se,ce Zaire

Variation in bill size is poorly understood; large-billed, medium-billed and small-billed birds are found throughout the range of the species, precluding a geographic breakdown.  Although intermediates have been reported, these types are sometimes treated as separate species and sometimes as a genetic polymorphism, as herein.  Differences in bill size may reduce food competition within a species.
 P. rothschildi has been described from Gabon, but Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) decline to recognize it pending further study.

Pyrenestes minor  LESSER SEEDCRACKER   Forest clearings, thickets.  E Tanzania, Malawi, se Zimbabwe and s Mozambique.  Sometimes included in P. ostrinus.
Spermophaga poliogenys  GRANT'S BLUEBILL.  Forest undergrowth.  C,ne,ce Zaire and w Uganda.
Spermophaga haematina  WESTERN BLUEBILL.  Forest clearings, second growth.  Senegambia, s Mali, se Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, s Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Cabinda, s C. African Rep. and nw,cn Zaire and s to nw Angola and sw,sc,ce Zaire.

Sometimes considered conspecific with S. ruficapilla because of their extensive parapatry with limited hybridization, but they apparently are sympatric in ne Zaire.

Spermophaga ruficapilla  RED-HEADED BLUEBILL.  Forest clearings, second growth.  Nw Angola, cs,se,ce,ne,cn Zaire, sw Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, extreme s Sudan, Uganda, w Kenya and sw Tanzania; ne Tanzania in the Usambara Mts.
Clytospiza monteiri  BROWN TWINSPOT.  Moist tall grass and bushes near forest.  In a belt outside the Congo forest in e Nigeria, Cameroon, extreme s Chad, C. African Rep. and n,ne Zaire to s Sudan, Uganda and extreme w Kenya and in Gabon, Congo in the lower Congo R. area, cw,nw Angola and cs,sc Zaire.
Hypargos niveoguttatus  PETERS'S TWINSPOT.  Thickets, riparian forest, edge.  E Angola, se Zaire, c,e Kenya and s Somalia s to Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Zambia, ne Namibia, Malawi, e Zimbabwe, e Mozambique and extreme ne S. Africa.

Hypargos margaritatus  PINK-THROATED TWINSPOT.  Dense thickets, forest edge.  S Mozambique and e S. Africa.
Euschistospiza dybowskii  DYBOWSKI'S TWINSPOT.  Grassy, rocky hills with trees.  Senegambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, s Cameroon, C. African Rep., s Chad, extreme s Sudan and cn,ne Zaire.  Generic affinities unclear; may be congeneric with Cryptospiza, Clytospiza or Lagonosticta.
Euschistospiza cinereovinacea  DUSKY TWINSPOT.  Tall grass, bushes and riparian grass.  Locally in mts. above 1500 m of c, sc Angola, sw Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and ce,se Zaire.
 Lagonosticta:  The taxonomy of the species of Lagonosticta is complex and the following treatment is subject to change.

Lagonosticta rufopicta  BROWN FIREFINCH.  Savanna woodland, grassland at forest edge, riparian thickets.  Payne (1982. Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan 162:1-96) has shown that nitidula is a subspecies of rufopicta.

L. r. rufopicta.  BAR-BREASTED FIREDINCH.  Senegambia, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, s Ethiopia, ne Zaire, nw Uganda and w Kenya.
 L. r. nitidula.  BROWN FIREFINCH.  Savanna woodland, grassland at forest edge, riparian thickets.  C, ce Angola, extreme ne Namibia, sc,se Zaire, Zambia, n Botswana, Zimbabwe and sw Tanzania.

Lagonosticta senegala  RED-BILLED FIREFINCH.  Savanna grassland, farmlands.  Sw Mauritania, Senegambia, c Morocco, s Mali, s Niger, s Chad and Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and s Somalia and s to Namibia, ne Botswana, Mozambique and S. Africa.  Recorded in all subSaharan African countries except Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and Congo.
Lagonosticta rara  BLACK-BELLIED FIREFINCH.  Savanna, farmlands.  Senegambia, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, ne Zaire, n Uganda and w Kenya.
Lagonosticta rubricata  AFRICAN FIREFINCH.  Moist thickets, grass.  Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, C. Afr. Rep., s Sudan, Ethiopian highlands, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, to s Zaire, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and e S. Africa.  See L. landanae.

Lagonosticta landanae  PALE-BILLED FIREFINCH.  Moist thickets, grass.  Cabinda, lower Congo R. and nw,c Angola.  Sometimes treated as conspecific with L. rubricata, L. senegala or L. rhodopareia, but known to hybridize in the small area of overlap.  Included in rubricata by Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) following Payne (1982 - see ref. under L. rufopicta.).  Separated here because Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) note that the "status of several isolated populations ... in West Africa would warrant further study.
Lagonosticta virata  MALI FIREFINCH.  Dry grassland, thickets.  Locally, s Mali along upper Niger River.  Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) state that "on present evidence" virata "could be a good species, or a form of L. rhodopareia or of L. rubricata ... For the moment we continue to treat it, tentatively, as a race of L. rhodopareia."

Lagonosticta umbrinodorsalis  REICHENOW'S FIREFINCH.  Dry grassland, thickets.  Locally in e Nigeria, s Chad and s Cameroon.  "Probably a race of L. rhodopareia" (Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire 1993, following Payne and Louette (1983. Mitt. Zool. Mus. Berlin 59, Suppl. Ann. Ornithol. 7:157-161).
Lagonosticta rhodopareia  JAMESON'S FIREFINCH.  Dry grassland, thickets.  Locally from Angola, cs, se Zaire, Zambia, Malawi, Tanzania, Kenya, extreme ne Uganda, s Chad, se Sudan, se,c Ethiopia and Eritrea; n Namibia, ne Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and ne S. Africa.  Probably includes L. umbrinodorsalis -- see above.
Lagonosticta larvata  BLACK-THROATED FIREFINCH.  Grassland.

These two forms are considered conspecific by the East African List Committee (D. A. Turner, pers. comm.) and by Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993).
 L. l. larvata.  Ce Sudan and w Ethiopia.
 L. l. vinacea.  BLACK-FACED FIREFINCH.  Locally in Senegambia, sw Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, n Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, s Niger, Nigeria, n Cameroon, s Chad, C. African Rep., s Sudan, extreme ne Zaire and n Uganda.

Uraeginthus angolensis  BLUE-BREASTED CORDONBLEU.  Savanna and woodland in bushes, thickets, towns.  São Tomé I., s Zaire, Angola, Zambia, s,c,ne Tanzania, Burundi, Malawi, n Namibia, n,e Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and ne S. Africa.
Uraeginthus bengalus  RED-CHEEKED CORDONBLEU.  Dry savanna, woodland in thickets.  Sw Mauritania, Senegambia, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, s Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad and s Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, nw,sw Somalia and s to s Zaire, e Angola, w,n Zambia, s Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.  Introduced into the Hawaiian Is. of Oahu and Hawaii.  Ecologically separate from U. angolensis in areas of overlap.
Uraeginthus cyanocephalus  BLUE-CAPPED CORDONBLEU.  Dry thorn scrub.  Extreme s Sudan, Ethiopia, s Somalia, Kenya and n,ne Tanzania.

Uraeginthus ianthinogaster  PURPLE GRENADIER.  Arid thorn scrub.  Extreme se Sudan, s,e Ethiopia and Somalia s through e Uganda and Kenya to cs Tanzania.
Uraeginthus granatina  COMMON GRENADIER.  Arid thorn scrub.  S Angola, sw Zambia, e Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and s Mozambique s to n S. Africa.
Estrilda caerulescens  LAVENDER WAXBILL.  Arid scrub in savanna country.  Senegambia, s Mali,Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, n Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, n Ghana, n Togo, n Benin, s Niger and n Nigeria to n Cameroon, sw Chad and C. African Rep.  Introduced in the Hawaiian Is. of Hawaii and formerly Oahu.
Estrilda perreini  BLACK-TAILED WAXBILL.  Forest undergrowth, riparian thickets.  Gabon, Congo, w,n Angola, s Zaire and s Tanzania s through Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe and c,s Mozambique to e S. Africa.

Estrilda thomensis  CINDERELLA WAXBILL.  Mixed thorn and mopane woodland.  Cw,sw Angola and n Namibia; formerly São Tomé, where possibly introduced.
Estrilda quartinia  YELLOW-BELLIED WAXBILL.  Grassy clearings, thickets, scrub.  Mts. from extreme se Sudan and w,c Ethiopia s through ne,ce Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, w,c Kenya and ne,e,cs Tanzania to e Zambia, Malawi, e Zimbabwe and adj. Mozambique; locally on c plateau of w Angola.  Often treated as a race of E. melanotis, but they are allopatric -- although "behaviourally and ecologically identical" according to Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993).
Estrilda melanotis  SWEE WAXBILL.  Grassy clearings, thickets, scrub.  Sw Zimbabwe, extreme s Mozambique and ne,s S. Africa.  See L. quartinia.

Estrilda poliopareia  ANAMBRA WAXBILL.  Moist tall grass.  Know only from s Nigeria.  Often considered conspecific with E. paludicola.
Estrilda paludicola  FAWN-BREASTED WAXBILL.  Moist grassy areas.  Nigeria, Gabon, Congo, c,n,ne Angola, C. African Rep., sw,ne,ne Zaire, s Sudan, s Ethiopia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and w Kenya s to Zambia and nw,cs Tanzania.
Estrilda ochrogaster  ABYSSINIAN WAXBILL.  Moist grassy areas.  Highlands of w,c Ethiopia and extreme se Sudan.  Often regarded as conspecific with E. paludicola.
Estrilda melpoda  ORANGE-CHEEKED WAXBILL.  Tall grass savanna, thickets.  Senegambia, s Mauritania, sw Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, se Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, s Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, s Chad, C. African Rep. and n,ne Zaire and s to nw Angola, s Zaire, n Zambia, Rwanda and Burundi.  Intro. Hawaiian Is. of Oahu and Hawaii and Puerto Rico.

Estrilda rhodopyga  CRIMSON-RUMPED WAXBILL.  Arid grasslands.  Lowlands of e,se Sudan, w,c Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, s Somalia s through ne,ce se Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya and n,c,sw Tanzania to n Malawi.
Estrilda rufibarba  ARABIAN WAXBILL.  Grassland.  Sw Saudi Arabia s to Yemen.
Estrilda troglodytes  BLACK-RUMPED WAXBILL.  Arid thorn scrub, farmlands.  Senegambia, s Mali, s Mauritania, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Ivory Coast, s Niger, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, n C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, c,s Sudan to nw Ethiopia, Eritrea, extreme ne Zaire, n,e Uganda and w Kenya.  Introduced in the Hawaiian Is. on Hawaii and in Puerto Rico.
Estrilda astrild  COMMON WAXBILL.  Open grassland, edge, often near water.  Sierra Leone, s Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, s Cameroon, Bioko and São Tomé islands, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, c C. African Rep., n,ne Zaire, c,s Sudan, w,c Ethiopia, s Somalia and s, (except forested Congo region and sw deserts) in Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, n Namibia, Botswana and Zimbabwe to s S. Africa.  Introduced in Portugal, Hawaiian Is. of Oahu and Hawaii, Society I. of Tahiti; Puerto Rico, Brazil, Cape Verde Is., Seychelles, Mascarene Islands and many small islands.

Estrilda nigriloris  BLACK-FACED WAXBILL.  Swamps.  Se Zaire.  Included in E. astrild by Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) who acknowledge that the two populations are allopatric and that only "further study can resolve" this question.
Estrilda nonnula  BLACK-CROWNED WAXBILL.  Woodland, grass, farmlands, forest clearings.  Burkina Faso, se Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko I., Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, n Zaire, C. african Rep., s Sudan, ne,e Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, w Kenya and nw Tanzania.
Estrilda atricapilla  BLACK-HEADED WAXBILL.  Forest clearings.  Lowlands to 1200 m in Cameroon, Gabon, Congo s to n Angola, c,s,se Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi and w,c Kenya.

The East African List Committee treat the population in Kenya as atricapilla, rather than as part of E. kandti (D. A. Turner, pers. comm.).  Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) discuss the problem and note that "knowledge is lacking of the situation where kandti and atricapilla come closest ... in eastern Zaire."  However, they consider it unlikely that there is "... a third species in this complex."

Estrilda kandti  KANDT'S WAXBILL.  Forest clearings.  Mts. 1500-3500 m of ce Zaire and sw Uganda.  See E. atricapilla.
Estrilda charmosyna  RED-RUMPED WAXBILL.  Dry thornbush thickets.  Extreme s Sudan, s,c,ne Ethiopia, nw,sw Somalia, extreme ne Uganda and Kenya.  Sometimes considered conspecific with E. erythronotos, but they overlap slightly in s Kenya without intergradation.
Estrilda erythronotos  BLACK-CHEEKED WAXBILL.  Dry thornbush thickets.  Uganda, Rwanda,s Kenya and w,c,ne Tanzania; s Angola, ne Namibia, sw Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana and ne S. Africa.
Amandava amandava  RED AVADAVAT.  Reedy swamps, grassland, scrub, farmlands.  Lowlands to 2400 m of Pakistan, India, n to Himalayan foothills e to Nepal and Bangladesh and s China s through Burma, nw,c Thailand, Cambodia and n,s Vietnam to Java and Lesser Sunda Is. of Bali, Lombok, Flores, Sumba, Timor and Roti.  Introduced in n Egypt, Arabia, Réunion, Malaya in Singapore, Sumatra, Philippines on Luzon I., Fiji Is. of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu and Hawaiian Is. of Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii.

Amandava formosa  GREEN AVADAVAT.  Tall grass, scrub.  Locally in plains and foothills of c India.
Amandava subflava  ZEBRA WAXBILL.  Savanna grassland.  Senegambia, s Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, s Sudan, w Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania, incl. Zanzibar, Mafia and Pemba is., Angola, Zaire, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Malawi, extreme ne Namibia, n Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and ne,e S. Africa.  S Yemen.
Ortygospiza atricollis  AFRICAN QUAILFINCH  Grassland.  Locally in Senegambia, s Mauritania, s, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, L. Chad area, c,se Sudan, w Ethiopia, Eritrea, extreme ne Zaire, Uganda, Kenya, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi, ne Namibia, n,nc Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and e,s S. Africa.

Ortygospiza gabonensis  RED-BILLED QUAILFINCH.  Grassland.  Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, w,sc,se,ne Zaire, s to c Angola, n Zambia, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and nw Tanzania.  Sometimes considered conspecific with O. atricollis.
Ortygospiza locustella  LOCUSTFINCH.  Swampy grassland.  Locally in Congo, sw,nc,ne Zaire; sw,e Angola, cs Zaire, Zambia, c Tanzania, Malawi, Botswana, ne Zimbabwe and n Mozambique.
Emblema pictum  PAINTED FIRETAIL.  Spinifex in rocky areas.  Arid int. of w,c Australia from c,n W. Australia e across c,s N. Terr. and n  S. Australia to cw Queensland.
Stagonopleura bella  BEAUTIFUL FIRETAIL.  Heath, woodland.  Coastal se Australia from ne New S. Wales to s Victoria, incl. Tasmania, Flinders I. and other is. in Bass Strait, and se S. Australia, incl. Kangaroo I.

Stagonopleura oculata  RED-EARED FIRETAIL.  Moist grassy areas in forest, coastal swamps.  Coastal sw W. Australia.
Stagonopleura guttata  DIAMOND FIRETAIL.  Savanna woodland, mallee, usually near water.  Int. e,se Australia from ne Queensland s to c New S. Wales, c Victoria to coast and se S. Australia, incl. Kangaroo I.
Oreostruthus fuliginosus  MOUNTAIN FIRETAIL.  Alpine grassland, forest.  Mts., 2700-3650 m of New Guinea, from Snow Mts. to se ranges.
Neochmia temporalis  RED-BROWED FIRETAIL.  Mangrove, forest, open areas, towns.  Coastal e,se Australia from n Queensland s to s Victoria and se S. Australia, incl. Kangaroo I.  Intro. sw W. Australia and Society Is. on Moore and Tahiti and Marquesas Is. on Nuku Hiva and Ua Huka.

Neochmia phaeton  CRIMSON FINCH.  Tall grass, Pandanus in swamps, riparian vegetation.  Lowlands of sc New Guinea along Fly R. and Oriomo R., and ne Australia; n Australia from n W. Australia e across n N. Territory to c,e Queensland.
Neochmia ruficauda  STAR FINCH.  Grassy riparian vegetation, swamps.  Locally in nw,n,se Australia from n W. Australia e across n N. Terr. to ne Queensland and formerly to c New S. Wales in Sydney area.
Neochmia modesta  PLUM-HEADED FINCH.  Savanna woodland undergrowth, riparian thickets. E Australia from ne Queensland s to c,se New South Wales, to Sydney area.  Ranges to Victoria.
Taeniopygia guttata  ZEBRA FINCH.  Varied, including grass, shrubs, woodland, but absent from dense forest.  Lowlands to 500 m of Lesser Sunda Is., from Lombok and Sumba e to Wetar, Kisar, Leti, Moa, Lakor and Sermata; Australia, except for coastal forest of sw,ne,e,se; intro.  Kangaroo I.

Taeniopygia bichenovii  DOUBLE-BARRED FINCH.  Varied; grass, Pandanus, scrub, farmlands.  N Australia in n W. Australia and N. Terr.; ne Australia in extreme ne N. Terr., Queensland and c,e New S. Wales, ranging to Victoria.
Poephila personata  MASKED FINCH.  Open woodland, grass, scrub, near water.  Tropical n Australia from W. Australia e across N. Terr. to n Queensland.
Poephila acuticauda  LONG-TAILED FINCH.  Savanna woodland, Pandanus, near water.  N Australia from n W. Australia e across N. Terr. to nw Queensland.
Poephila cincta  BLACK-THROATED FINCH.  Open forest, woodland with dense grass, scrub, near water.  Ne Australia in n,c Queensland; e Australia in se Queensland and extreme ne New S. Wales.

Erythrura hyperythra  TAWNY-BREASTED PARROTFINCH.  Bamboo, forest edge, woodland.  Mts., 800-2200 m, of Malay Arch. in Malaya, n Borneo, w Java, Lesser Sunda Is. of  Lombok, Flores, Sumbawa, Sulawesi and n,c Philippines on n Luzon and Mindoro.
Erythrura prasina  PIN-TAILED PARROTFINCH.  Forest, scrub, bamboo.  Foothills, 300-1500 m, of  nw,ne,pen. Thailand, n,c Laos, Malaya, Sumatra, Borneo and Java.
Erythrura viridifacies  GREEN-FACED PARROTFINCH.  Savanna, forest edge, bamboo.  Lowlands to 1000 m of n,c Philippines on Luzon and Negros.
Erythrura tricolor  TRICOLORED PARROTFINCH.  Forest.  Lowlands to 1200 m of Lesser Sunda Is. on Timor, Wetar, Romang, Damar and Babar; Tanimbar Is.

Erythrura trichroa  BLUE-FACED PARROTFINCH.  Forest edge, mangroves.  Locally on ne,sc Sulawesi in mts., Moluccas on Halmahera. Ternate, Tidore, Bacan, Buru, Seram, New Guinea in mts. 750-2750 m, incl. Manam and Karkar is., D'Entrecasteaux Arch., Louisiade Arch., Bismarck Arch., Palau, Caroline, Solomon and Banks is., Vanuatu, Loyalty Is. and ne Australia in n coastal Queensland.
Erythrura coloria  RED-EARED PARROTFINCH.  Forest, edge, second growth.  Mts. above 1000 m of s Philippines on Mindanao on Mt. Katanglad and Mt. Apo.
Erythrura papuana  PAPUAN PARROTFINCH.  Grassland, second growth.  Mts., 750-2000 m, of New Guinea, from Vogelkop to se ranges.

Erythrura psittacea  RED-THROATED PARROTFINCH.  Second growth, farmlands, open woodland, edge.  New Caledonia.
Erythrura pealii  FIJI PARROTFINCH.  Grassland, rice fields, towns, forest, edge.  Fiji.
Erythrura cyaneovirens  RED-HEADED PARROTFINCH.  Open forest, second growth. W. Samoa Is. on Savaii and Upolu.
Erythrura regia  ROYAL PARROTFINCH.  Open forest, second growth.  Melanesia on Banks Is. and Vanuatu. 
Erythrura kleinschmidti  PINK-BILLED PARROTFINCH.  Forest, fig trees,  Mts., 600-1000 m, on Fiji I. of Viti Levu.

Chloebia gouldiae  GOULDIAN FINCH.  Savanna, reedbeds, mangroves, usually near water.  N Australia from n W. Australia e across n N. Terr. to nw,n Queensland.
Lemuresthes nana  MADAGASCAR MUNIA.  Grassland with brush, edge, farmlands.  Lowlands to 1800 m of Madagascar.  Placed in Lonchura by Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993) and by Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993) who "take a broad view" of the genus Lonchura and note that a review of the genus and allies is needed.
Lonchura cantans  AFRICAN SILVERBILL.  Arid thorn savanna, tall grass, acacia scrub.  Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger, n Ghana, n Togo, n Benin, n Nigeria, n Cameroon, C. Afr. Rep., s Chad, se Egypt and c,s Sudan to Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, nw Somalia, Uganda, Kenya and ne,c Tanzania.  Sw Arabia from Mecca s to Yemen and ne to s Oman,.  Introduced in the Hawaiian Is. from Kauai and Oahu to Maui, and in Puerto Rico.  Often considered conspecific with L. malabarica.

Lonchura malabarica  WHITE-THROATED SILVERBILL.  Arid thorn savanna, tall grass, scrub, open woodland.  N, ne Arabia and se Iran e to Pakistan and India, n to Himalayan foothills, e to s Nepal, Sikkim and c Bangladesh and s to Sri Lanka.
Lonchura griseicapilla  GREY-HEADED SILVERBILL.  Thorn savanna.  S Sudan, ne Uganda (?) and s Ethiopia s through e,se Kenya to c Tanzania.  Uganda record needs confirmation.
Lonchura cucullata  BRONZE MUNIA.  Savanna, scrub, farmlands.  Senegambia, sw Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, s Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko, São Tomé and Príncipe islands, C. African Rep., Sudan and Ethiopia s, incl. Zanzibar, Mafia and Pemba is.,s to Zaire, s Angola, Namibia, n,e Botswana, Zimbabwe, s Mozambique and se S. Africa.  Recorded in all subSaharan African countries except Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia.  Also in the Comoro Is.  Introduced in Puerto Rico.

Lonchura bicolor  BLACK-AND-WHITE MUNIA.  Riparian forest, clearings.

L. b. bicolor.  Guinea-Bissau, s Mali, Sierra Leone, se Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko I., Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, s C. African Rep., n,ne Zaire, extreme se Sudan, s Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, w Kenya, nw Tanzania s to nw Angola and sw,sc,ce Zaire.
 L. b. nigriceps.  BROWN-BACKED MUNIA.  Riparian forest, clearings.  C,ne Angola, cs,se Zaire, s Tanzania, incl. Zanzibar and Pemba is., e,s Kenya and s Somalia s to sw,se Angola, Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and e S. Africa.
 The two races have been said to be parapatric along a line through c Africa without evidence of significant interbreeding and treated as two species.  The East African List Committee treat nigriceps as a race of bicolor (D. A. Turner, pers. comm.) as do Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993), but questions remain.

Lonchura fringilloides  MAGPIE MUNIA.  Riparian forest, clearings, bamboo.  Locally in s Mali, Senegambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, C. African Rep., s Sudan, s Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania and s to n Angola, Zambia, Malawi, e Zimbabwe, Mozambique and e S. Africa.
Lonchura striata  WHITE-RUMPED MUNIA.  Second growth, farmlands, edge.  Lowlands to 1500 m of c,s India, incl. Sri Lanka; lowlands to 1800 m from India, Himalayan foothills s to Bangladesh, s China and Taiwan s through se Asia to Andaman and Nicobar is., and Sumatra, incl. Bangka I.
Lonchura leucogastroides  JAVAN MUNIA.  Second growth, farmlands.  Lowlands of w Indonesia on s Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok.  Intro. Singapore.

Sometimes treated as a subspecies of L. striata, but the overlap is marginal and there is limited hybridization in Sumatra.

Lonchura fuscans  DUSKY MUNIA.  Open grassland, rice fields.  Malay Arch. in Borneo, incl. Natuna and Banggi is., and sw Philippines on Cagayan and Sulu is.
Lonchura molucca  BLACK-FACED MUNIA.  Grassland, rice fields.  Lowlands to 1000 m of Wallacea on Sulawesi, incl. adj is., and Tanahjampea, Kalao and Kalaotoa is. in Flores Sea, Lesser Sunda Is. on Sumbawa, Flores, Paloe, Sumba, Pantar and Timor; Tanimbar Is.; Moluccas, incl. Seram Laut and Watubela is., and Kai Is.
Lonchura kelaarti  BLACK-THROATED MUNIA.  Grassland, rice fields, woodland.  Hills, 600-2100 m of s India and Sri lanka.
Lonchura punctulata  SCALY-BREASTED MUNIA.  Grass, scrub, farmlands.  Lowlands to 2200 m of  India and Himalayan foothills and Sri Lanka, s China and Taiwan s through se Asia to Sumatra, incl. Nias, Riau Arch., Bangka and Belitung is., Java, incl. Bawean I., se Borneo, Lesser Sunda Is. on Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Sawu, Flores, Lomblen, Timor, Kisar, Romang, Leti, Babar; Tanimbar Is., Sulawesi and Philippines on Luzon, Mindoro, Calamian Is., Palawan, Panay, Negros, Cebu.

Intro. Seychelles, Mascarene Is., Australia, Palau, Caroline Is. and Hawaiian Is.

Lonchura leucogastra  WHITE-BELLIED MUNIA.  Forest clearings, edge.  Lowlands to 600 m of Malay Arch. in Malay Pen., Sumatra, Borneo and Philippines.
Lonchura tristissima  STREAK-HEADED MUNIA.  Grassy edge near water, towns.  Lowlands to 1500 m of w,c New Guinea.
Lonchura leucosticta  WHITE-SPOTTED MUNIA.  Savanna, riparian grass, bamboo.  Lowlands of s New Guinea.
Lonchura malacca  INDIAN BLACK-HEADED MUNIA.  Grass, scrub, reedbeds, farmlands.

There is a gap between the ranges of malacca and atricapilla and no evidence of intergradation.  Lowlands to 1500m of s India locally from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh s, including Sri Lanka.

Lonchura atricapilla  SOUTHERN BLACK-HEADED MUNIA.  Grass, scrub, reedbeds, farms.  From n,e India in Himalayan foothills from n Haryana e to Assam, s to Bihar, W. Bengal, Bangladesh, Manipur and Nagaland, sw China in w Yunnan, and Taiwan s through Burma, nw,c Thailand, Cambodia, s Laos, c,s Vietnam and Malay Pen. to Sumatra (n mts., coastal lowlands) incl. Riau and Lingga arch., Borneo incl. Natuna Is., Sulawesi incl. Muna, Butung and Togian is., Philippines incl. Sulu Arch., and n Moluccas on Halmahera. Sometimes treated as a race of L. malacca.  B. King (pers. comm.) recommends species status for L. atricapilla.

Introduced in e Australia, Moluccas on Halmahera I., Palau and Hawaiian Is. on Kauai and Oahu; whether malacca or atricapilla uncertain, but apparently mostly atricapilla.

Lonchura ferruginosa  WHITE-CAPPED MUNIA.  Grass, scrub, reedbeds, farmlands.  Lowlands to 1500 m of Java.  Often considered conspecific with L. malacca.
Lonchura quinticolor  FIVE-COLORED MUNIA.  Grassland, farmlands.  Lowlands to 1200 m of Lesser Sunda Is. on Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Roti, Timor, Alor, Sermata and Babar.
Lonchura maja  WHITE-HEADED MUNIA.  Grassland, marsh, rice fields, scrub, towns.  Lowlands to 1500 m of  pen.Thailand, Malaya, Sumatra, incl. Simeulue, Nias and Pini is., Java and Bali.
Lonchura pallida  PALE-HEADED MUNIA.  Grassland, farmlands.  Lowlands to 1000 m of Wallacea on nc,s Sulawesi, incl. Kalaotoa and Madu is., and Lesser Sunda Is. on Lombok, Sumbawa, Flores, Sawu, Roti, Alor, Kisar, Romang, Sermata, Babar.

Lonchura grandis  GRAND MUNIA.  Grassland, marsh grass.  Lowlands to 600 m of e New Guinea.
Lonchura vana  GREY-BANDED MUNIA.  Grassland.  Arfak Mts., 1900-2000 m, of nw New Guinea.  May be conspecific with L. caniceps.
Lonchura caniceps  GREY-HEADED MUNIA.  Savanna, marshy grassland.  Lowlands to 1800 m of e New Guinea.
Lonchura nevermanni  GREY-CROWNED MUNIA.  Savanna, marshy grassland.  Lowlands of s New Guinea.
Lonchura spectabilis  HOODED MUNIA.  Grassland.  Lowlands to 1800 m of n New Guinea, and e Bismarck Arch. on New Britain.

Lonchura hunsteini  MOTTLED MUNIA.  Grassland.  E Bismarck Arch. on n New Ireland.  Intro. Caroline Is. on Pohnpei I.
Lonchura forbesi  NEW IRELAND MUNIA.  Grassland.  E Bismarck Arch, on New Ireland.  May be conspecific with L. hunsteini.
Lonchura nigerrima  NEW HANOVER MUNIA.  Grassland.  Ne Bismarck Arch. on New Hanover.  May be conspecific with L. hunsteini.
Lonchura flaviprymna  YELLOW-RUMPED MUNIA.  Riparian grass, reedbeds, mangroves.  Nw Australia in n W. Australia and w N. Terr.
Lonchura castaneothorax  CHESTNUT-BREASTED MUNIA.  Riparian grass, reedbeds, mangroves.  Lowlands of se,n New Guinea and n,e Australia from n W. Australia e to ne N. Terr., and from n Queensland s on coast to ce New S. Wales in Sydney area.  Intro. New Caledonia, Society Is. and Marquesas.  There is extensive hybridization with L. flaviprymna, locally in ne Australia.

Lonchura stygia  BLACK MUNIA.  Reedbeds, floating grass mats, tall grass.  Lowlands of s New Guinea.
Lonchura teerinki  BLACK-BREASTED MUNIA.  Grassland.  Mts., 1500-2200 m of wc New Guinea.
Lonchura montana  SNOW MOUNTAIN MUNIA.  Alpine grassland, rocks.  Snow Mts., 2100-4150 m, of w New Guinea.
Lonchura monticola  ALPINE MUNIA.  Alpine grassland, rocks.  Mts., 2700-3650 m, of se New Guinea.  Sometimes considered conspecific with L. montana, but its relationships may be with another species of Lonchura.
Lonchura melaena  BISMARCK MUNIA.  Grassland.  Sc Bismarck Arch. on New Britain.

Heteromunia pectoralis  PICTORELLA MUNIA.  Dry savanna grassland, spinifex.  N Australia from n W. Australia e across n N. Terr. to nw, c Queensland.  Nomadic.
Padda oryzivora  JAVA SPARROW.  Scrub, mangroves, rice fields, towns.  Java and Bali.

Introduced in c India, Sri Lanka, se China, se Asia, Malaysia, Sumatra, incl. Riau Arch. and Belitung, Sulawesi, Lesser Sunda Is. on Lombok and Sumbawa, Philippines, Moluccas on Ambon, Tanzania, Mascarene Is., Hawaiian Is. on Kauai, Oahu and Hawaii, Fiji, s Florida, Puerto Rico and other areas.  Placed in Lonchura by Dowsett and Dowsett-Lemaire (1993).

Padda fuscata  TIMOR SPARROW.  Scrub, farmlands.  C Lesser Sunda Is. on Roti, Semau and Timor.
Amadina fasciata  CUT-THROAT.  Thorn savanna, mopane woodland.  Senegambia, s Mauritania, s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger, n Ivory Coast, n Ghana, n Benin, ne Nigeria, Cameroon, s Chad and c,s Sudan to EthiopiaEritrea and Somalia and s through Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, s Zambia, ne Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique to ne S. Africa, n,e Botswana and ne Namibia.  Geographically close to A. erythrocephla, but ecological differences prevent overlap.
Amadina erythrocephala  RED-HEADED FINCH.  Dry open savanna, acacia thornveld.  W,s Angola, Botswana, sw Zimbabwe, Namibia and int. S. Africa.

Tribe VIDUINI:  Indigobirds and Whydahs.  Also called Widowbirds.
 The brood parasitic viduines lay their eggs in the nests of estrildine finches, especially in those of the firefinches (Lagonosticta); also in those of species of Ortygospiza, Granatina, Clytospiza, Hypargos and Amandava.  Each indigobird mimics the songs of its foster species.  Birds raised in captivity have been shown to mimic the song of their host species when mature.  The young indigobirds mimic the mouth pattern of spots, colors and gape papillae of the young nestlings of their foster species and the host birds rear the young indigobirds with their own young.  Males learn and mimic the songs of their foster species and advertise their upbringing in their adult song.  Females visit the males that mimic the songs of their own foster species and mate with them.  Because the females are attracted to males that sing like their foster parent, they mate with males that were reared by the same foster species, thus with males of their own species.  Thus, by being attracted to a male with with a song like her foster father, she ensures that her nestlings will have the same mouth pattern and can be reared without discrimination against them by the foster adults.  As an example of indigobird mouth patterns, the young Village Indigobird (V. chalybeata) has a yellow mouth lining with a ring of 3 or 5 black spots and a pair of white papillae with a blue base at each side of the gape, as do the young of their host species, the Red-Billed Firefinch.  (From Payne, 1994 in Honeyguide, cited below).

Robert B. Payne and colleagues have made a series of field and aviary studies of the indigobirds and their host estrildines.  Payne and Payne (1994. Ibis 136:291-304) studied song mimicry and species associations of west African indigobirds with finches other than firefinches and described the associations between indigobirds and Ortygospiza atricollis, Amandava subflava and Clytospiza monteiri.  Hypargos niveoguttatus is a fourth foster species that is not a firefinch.
 Payne, et al. (1993. Proc. 8th Pan-African Orn. Congr. 40-42) report that where two or more indigobird species occur, only 1.7% of 942 visits to displaying males were by heterospecific females, and no heterospecific copulations were recorded.  About the same percentage of males, classified by morphology, mimic an inappropriate host.  Klein, et al. (1993. Proc. 8th. Pan-African Orn. Congr. 29-39) used mtDNA sequence data to show that the species relationships of the viduines did not parallel the speciation of their hosts.

Other recent references:  Payne, R. B. 1994.  Brood parasitism in Nigerian birds, pp. 53-56 in J. Elgood, et al. The Birds of Nigeria.  BOU Checklist No. 4, 2nd edition.  Payne, R. and L. Payne.  1995.  Auk.  Song mimicry and association of brood-parasitic indigobirds (Vidua) with Dybowski's Twinspot (Eustichospiza dybowskii).  Payne, R. 1994.  The species of indigobirds in Zimbabwe.  Honeyguide 40:78-86.

Vidua chalybeata  VILLAGE INDIGOBIRD.  Savanna, brushy areas.  Senegambia, s Mauritania, sw Mali, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, s Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, s Chad, C. African Rep., c,s Sudan, w,c Ethiopia, Eritrea, s Somalia, Angola, Zambia, e Zaire, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, n Namibia, n,e Botswana and ne S. Africa.  V. ultramarina and V. amauropteryx are considered to be races of V. chalybeata.  Parasitizes the Red-billed Firefinch, Lagonosticta senegala.

Vidua camerunensis   CAMEROON INDIGOBIRD.  Savanna, brushy areas.  Locally from Sierra Leone e to Cameroon, ne Zaire and s Sudan.  Parasitizes L. rara, L. rubricata, Clytospiza monteiri and Eustichospiza dybowskii.

Vidua larvaticola  BLACK-FACED FIREFINCH INDIGOBIRD.  Brushy areas, towns.  Probably widespread from Senegambia, Guinea-Bissau, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon e to n Zaire, Sudan and extreme w Ethiopia.  Parasitizes Lagonosticta larvata.
Vidua funerea  VARIABLE INDIGOBIRD or DUSKY INDIGOBIRD.  Moist savanna.  Locally in sw Mali, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep., s,sc,ce,ne Zaire, extreme se Sudan and se Kenya s through e,c,s Tanzania, Zimbabwe, ne Botswana, c,n Angola, extreme ne Namibia and Mozambique to S. Africa.  Includes V. f. nigerrima, sometimes regarded as a separate species.  Parasitizes Lagonosticta rubricata.  See V.  nigeriae, formerly included in V. funerea.

Vidua maryae  JOS PLATEAU INDIGOBIRD.  Rocky, wooded hills.  Jos Plateau, n Nigeria.  Described as a race of V. funerea (Payne, 1982. Univ. Michigan Mus. Zool. Occ. Publ. 162:42), but treated as a species by Payne and Payne (1994. Ibis 136:291-304).  Parasitizes Lagonosticta rubricata.
Vidua nigeriae  QUAILFINCH INDIGOBIRD.  Moist savanna.  Flood plain of the Benue River, n Cameroon, s Sudan (Yei), Senegambia (Kuntaur), probably more widespread.  Parasitizes and mimics the songs of Ortygospiza atricollis.  Formerly treated as a synonym of V. funerea, but its host relationships and distinct morphology are described by Payne and Payne (1994. Ibis 136:291-304).

Vidua raricola  GOLDBREAST INDIGOBIRD.  Moist savanna.  Reported locally in n Sierra Leone, n Ghana, n Nigeria, n Cameroon, n Zaire, s Sudan and probably approximates the range of it host species, Amandava subflava, in West and Central Africa.
Vidua codringtoni  GREEN INDIGOBIRD or PETER'S TWINSPOT INDIGOBIRD.  Moist savanna.  Locally in Zambia, sw Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe.  Sympatric with V.chalybeata, V. funerea and V. purpurascens.  Previously treated as a race of V. funerea.  Parasitizes Hypargos niveoguttatus
.  (Payne, et al. 1992. Ostrich 63:86-97).

Vidua purpurascens  DUSKY INDIGOBIRD.  Dry savanna, brush.  Locally from sw Angola, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania s to se Zaire, extreme ne Namibia, n,e Botswana, Zimbabwe (exc. e highlands) and ne S. Africa in Transvaal, e Swaziland and n Natal.  Parasitizes Lagonosticta rhodopareia.
Vidua wilsoni  PALE-WINGED INDIGOBIRD or BAR-BREASTED FIREFINCH INDIGOBIRD.  Woodland.  Senegambia and Guinea-Bissau e to n Zaire, s Sudan and nw Ethiopia, probably to Uganda and w Kenya, Tanzania and se Zaire.  Parasitizes Lagonosticta rufopicta.  Includes V. lorenzi.
Vidua hypocherina  STEEL-BLUE WHYDAH.  Dry thorn savanna.  Extreme s Sudan (vagrant?), c,s Ethiopia and Somalia s to e Uganda, Kenya and c Tanzania.  Parasitizes Estrilda erythronotos and Estrilda charmosyna.

Vidua fischeri  STRAW-TAILED WHYDAH.  Dry thorn savanna.  Extreme se Sudan. c,s,e Ethiopia and Somalia s through e Uganda and Kenya to c Tanzania.  Parasitizes Uraeginthus ianthinogaster.
Vidua regia  QUEEN WHYDAH or SHAFT-TAILED WHYDAH.  Thorn savanna.  S Angola, n,c Namibia, sw Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, s Mozambique and n S. Africa.  Parasitizes Uraeginthus granatina.
Vidua macroura  PIN-TAILED WHYDAH.  Savanna.  Senegambia and Guinea-Bissau e across s Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, s Chad and c,s Sudan to Ethiopia and s Somalia and s, incl. São Tomé I., to S. Africa.  Parasitizes Estrilda astrild, probably also E. troglodytes, E. melpoda and other Estrilda waxbills.

Vidua orientalis  NORTHERN PARADISE-WHYDAH.  Savanna.  Senegambia e through s Mali, Burkina Faso, s Niger, n Nigeria, s Chad, C. African Rep. and c,s Sudan to nw Ethiopia and Eritrea.  Parasitizes Pytilia melba.
Vidua togoensis  TOGO PARADISE-WHYDAH.  Savanna.  Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo.  (Cameroon record in Malimbus 1985, not confirmed by Payne, pers. comm.)  Probably parasitizes Pytilia hypogrammica.  Sometimes included in V. orientalis.
Vidua interjecta  LONG-TAILED PARADISE-WHYDAH. Savanna.  Mali, Ivory Coast, Ghana, s Nigeria, Cameroon, C. African Rep. and ne Zaire.  Parasitizes Pytilia phoenicoptera and (east of Togo) Pytilia hypogrammica.  Sometimes included in V. orientalis, with which at least two intermediate specimens from the C. African Rep. and se Sudan are known.

Vidua paradisaea  EASTERN PARADISE-WHYDAH.  Open woodland.  Nw,s Angola, Zambia, extreme se Zaire, e Tanzania, Kenya, e Uganda, extreme se Sudan, Ethiopia and Somalia s to c Namibia, n,e Botswana, Zimbabwe and ne S. Africa.  Parasitizes Pytilia melba.

Vidua obtusa  BROAD-TAILED PARADISE-WHYDAH.  Savanna.  N Angola, sc,ce Zaire, Burundi, Rwanda, extreme sw Uganda , s Kenya and w,s Tanzania s to s Angola, extreme ne Namibia, n Botswana, Zimbabwe and ne S. Africa.  Widely sympatric with V. paradisaea.  Parasitizes Pytilia afra.