Albertine Rift region in montane east-central DRCongo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla).
Rarity Status
Currently this species is not classified as a rarity in this country OR information has not been updated.
Kandt's Waxbill (Estrilda kandti) [XC233050]
by Martin St-Michel from Mgahinga National Park, Kisoro, Uganda (call, flight call)
Kandt's Waxbill (Estrilda kandti) [XC709713]
by Martin St-Michel from Mgahinga National Park, Kisoro, Uganda (call, song)
Subspecies
Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla) and Kandt's Waxbill (Estrilda kandti) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Estrilda atricapilla following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993).
Sometimes placed with Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla) and Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula) in a separate genus, Krimhilda. May form a superspecies with Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla), and formerly considered conspecific. Recent studies of mitochondrial phylogeny indicate that nominate subspecies of this species and Black-crowned Waxbill (Estrilda nonnula) form a sister-clade to nominate subspecies and subspecies avakubi of Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla). Subspecies keniensis, sometimes thought to represent a separate species, appears as sister to all of those.
Proposed subspecies graueri (described from Mt Sabinjo, in western Kivu volcanoes) is a synonym of nominate.
Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla).
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
kandti Reichenow, 1902 - Albertine Rift region in montane east-central DRCongo, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla).
keniensis Mearns, 1915 - Kenya (Mt Elgon, Aberdare Mts, Mt Kenya). Considered by some authors to be a subspecies of Black-headed Waxbill (Estrilda atricapilla).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet