Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) [XC516121]
by Dawie de Swardt from Polokwane Game Reserve, Polokwane, Limpopo, South Africa (call)
Red-headed Finch (Amadina erythrocephala) [XC346585]
by Tony Archer from Etosha National Park, Namibia (call)
Subspecies
Genus has been considered closer to Lonchura than to estrildine genera, as it has a thick bill. However, both behaviour and the molecular phylogeny support a relationship with estrildine waxbills, rather than with lonchurine munias. This species is sometimes thought to form a superspecies with Cut-throat Finch (Amadina fasciata). Slightly darker birds from Bergville (western KwaZulu-Natal), in north-eastern South Africa, described as subspecies dissita, but appear inadequately differentiated from birds in rest of species' range to warrant recognition.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
erythrocephala (Linnaeus, 1758) - Western Angola, southern Zambia and western Zimbabwe to southern South Africa.
dissita Clancey, 1958 - South central South Africa (north to western Free State and southern North West).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet