Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, northern Guinea and southern Mali (upper R Niger) east to northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, southern Chad and northern Central African Republic.Introduced in Hawaiian Is.
 
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Lavender Waxbill (Estrilda caerulescens) [XC359077]
by id from Diemb\u00e9ring (dunes), Oussouye, Casamance, Senegal (call)
Lavender Waxbill (Estrilda caerulescens) [XC719126]
by Bram Piot from Tongo Hills, Upper East, Ghana (call)
Subspecies
No subspecies.
Has been thought to form a superspecies with Black-tailed Waxbill (Estrilda perreini), possibly with Cinderella Waxbill (Estrilda thomensis) included in same grouping.