Red-headed quelea facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Red-headed quelea
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Ploceidae
Genus:	Quelea
Species:	Q. erythrops
Binomial name
Quelea erythrops (Hartlaub, 1848)
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The red-headed quelea (Quelea erythrops) is a small, colorful bird. It belongs to the Ploceidae family, which are often called "weavers" because of how they build their nests.

You can find these birds in many parts of Africa. They live in countries like Angola, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, and Uganda. They are quite widespread across the continent.

What's in a Name?

The red-headed quelea got its scientific name, Quelea erythrops, a long time ago. A scientist named Gustav Hartlaub first described it in 1848. He saw a bird collected from Sao Tome island.

The name erythrops comes from ancient Greek words. "Erythros" means "red," and "ops" means "eye" or "face." This name perfectly describes the bird's bright red face!

People have given this bird other fun names too. Sometimes it's called a pokerhead or a red-headed weaver. In Swahili, a language spoken in East Africa, it's known as kwelea kichwa-chekundu.

Red-headed Quelea Family Tree

Scientists use DNA analysis to understand how different animals are related. For the red-headed quelea, DNA studies show it's closely related to two other birds:

• The cardinal quelea (Q. cardinalis)
• The red-billed quelea (Q. quelea)

These three birds are all part of the Quelea group. The Quelea group itself is part of a larger family of birds called "true weavers." They are also related to birds in the Foudia genus, which live on islands in the Indian Ocean.

Here's a simple way to see how they are related: