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The Red-billed firefinch (Lagonosticta senegala) is a bird found in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Gambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and 3 more countries. Villages, gardens and bush across Africa. It eats seeds and nuts, insects and other small invertebrates and leaves and other plant parts. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

🏡 Where the Red-billed firefinch lives

Villages, gardens and bush across Africa.

🍽️ What it eats

• 🌰 Seeds & nuts60%
• 🐛 Insects & bugs20%
• 🌿 Leaves & plants20%

A rough guide to its diet over a year. Source: EltonTraits (Wilman et al. 2014).

Conservation status

Hear the Red-billed firefinch

Recorded by Joost van Bruggen (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0), xeno-canto XC440441. Trimmed to a few seconds.

Questions about the Red-billed firefinch

Where does the Red-billed firefinch live?

The Red-billed firefinch lives in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Gambia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and 3 more countries. Villages, gardens and bush across Africa.

What does the Red-billed firefinch eat?

seeds and nuts (about 60%), insects and other small invertebrates (about 20%), leaves and other plant parts (about 20%). These are rough shares of its diet over a year, from the EltonTraits database.

Is the Red-billed firefinch endangered?

There are plenty of these birds. Its IUCN Red List category is Least Concern.

More birds from Africa

• Rüppell's vulture
• Hooded vulture
• Martial eagle
• Egyptian vulture
• Northern bald ibis
• Mauritius kestrel

Sources: IUCN Red List (via Wikidata), EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014), GBIF sightings for countries, Wikipedia. Last updated 2026-10-19.