About Estrilda caerulescens (Vieillot, 1817)
This species of estrildid finch is commonly known as the lavender waxbill. Its binomial scientific name is listed as both Estrilda caerulescens (Vieillot, 1817) and Glaucestrilda caerulescens. The lavender waxbill is native to Central Africa, and has been successfully introduced to Hawaiʻi. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 620,000 square kilometers, which equals 240,000 square miles. The species is found in subtropical or tropical lowland dry shrubland. Its native range covers Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, Côte d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, and Togo. It also occurs in the United States, where it is only found on the island of Hawaii. The International Union for Conservation of Nature has classified this species as being of least concern.
