Common Waxbill

Description:

Gray-brown upperparts, lower breast, and belly. Fine barring on back, wings, sides, lower breast, belly, and tail. White cheeks, throat, and upper breast. Rosy-pink patch on belly. Bright red mask surrounds eye. Reddish-orange bill. Black undertail coverts. Black legs and feet. Sexes similar. Immature bird is similar to adult, but is duller, has brown undertail coverts, and sometimes lacks red eye mask. 4 inches in length.

Habitat:

A number of these little guys were flitting around in the tall grass between a field and wooded area in the park.

Notes:

Common Waxbill: Breeds in open, grassy areas in Sub-Saharan Africa. Several populations have also become established in other parts of the world including Hawaii. First reported on the island of Oahu in the late 1970s, it has spread to other islands. Most populations are resident although some make local movements in search of seeding grasses.