Gray-headed Silverbill
Lonchura griseicapilla
(Odontospiza griseicapilla)
Kajiado, Kenya. Dec. 2014.
This seed-eating bird has several stand-out characteristics that make it easy to recognize: a massive silver bill, pearly-speckled head and neck, golden-tan chest and belly, and a bright white patch on the rump. Seeds of grasses are a prime food, and in this photo the bird can be seen pulling seeds from grass spikelets. Found in grassland habitats of East Africa.
Estrildidae -- Waxbill Family
Books:
- Birds of Kenya and Northern Tanzania by Zimmerman et al.
- Birds of East Africa by Stevenson and Fanshawe