Red-billed Quelea

Afrikaans name: Rooibekkwelea

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Quelea quelea

The Red-billed Quelea is a well-known bird with a reputation for wiping out crops. They can be found in flocks, some of which are gigantic and can take hours to fly past.

These birds are found in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa excluding the southern most portions of the country.

Queleas feed on seeds which can be from crops or from grasses. A large flock can flatten a field of grain in no time.

Red-billed Queleas breed in colonies which may include millions of birds. The large concentration of chicks and eggs attracts many predators including birds of prey, herons, hornbills, snakes and many others.

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References and further reading

A Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa - 2nd Edition - Author: O.P.M. Prozesky - Year Published: 1983 - Page: 302

Animals of the Kruger National Park - Author: G. de Graaff - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 113

Birds of Southern Africa - Kruger National Park - Author: Kenneth Newman - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 208

Birds of the Transvaal - Author: Tarboton, Kemp and Kemp - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 258

Collins Illustrated Checklist - Birds of Southern Africa - 1st edition - Author: Ber van Perlo - Year Published: 1999 - Page: 78

Everyone's Guide to South African Birds - Author: John Sinclair and John Mendelsohn - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 37

Field Guide to the Birds of Kruger National Park - Author: Ian Sinclair and Ian Whyte - Year Published: 1991 - Page: 204

Garden Birds in South Africa - Author: Duncan Butchart - Year Published: 2017 - Page: 142

Geoff Lockwood's Garden Birds of Southern Africa - Author: Geoff Lockwood - Year Published: - Page: 109

Ian Sinclair's Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa - 2nd Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair - Year Published: 1988 - Page: 308

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa - 1st Edition - Author: Ken Newman - Year Published: 1984 - Page: 404

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa - 7th Edition - Author: Ken Newman - Year Published: 2000 - Page: 404

Questions and Answers - Birds of Southern Africa - Author: Deirdre Richards - Year Published: 1990 - Page: 27

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 1st Edition - Author: Dr. Austin Roberts - Year Published: 1949 - Page: 344

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 3rd Edition - Author: McLachlan and Liversidge - Year Published: 1975 - Page: 562

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 4th Edition - Author: McLachlan and Liversidge - Year Published: 1981 - Page: 571

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 5th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1985 - Page: 730

Roberts' Birds of Southern Africa - 6th Edition - Author: Gordon Lindsay Maclean - Year Published: 1993 - Page: 729

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - 1st Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair et al. - Year Published: 1993 - Page: 388

Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - 4th Edition - Author: Ian Sinclair et al. - Year Published: 2011 - Page: 422

Southern African Bird Names Explained - Author: Charles Clinning - Year Published: 1989 - Page: 121

The Birds of South Africa - Author: Hazel Stokes - Year Published: 1979 - Page: 46

Wildlife of Southern Africa - Author: Martin Withers and David Hosking - Year Published: 2011 - Page: 182

World Birds - Author: Brian P. Martin - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 63

World Birds - Author: Brian P. Martin - Year Published: 1987 - Page: 180

List of South African Birds