The Arabian waxbill is a highly sociable species of estrildid finch native to Yemen and south-western Saudi Arabia. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 20,000 – 50,000 km2.
Region
Southwestern Arabian Peninsula
Typical Environment
Occurs from the Asir and Jizan region of southwestern Saudi Arabia south into western Yemen. It favors Acacia–Commiphora thorn scrub, grassy wadis, terraced hillsides, and edges of cultivation where seeding grasses are abundant. The species also uses riparian vegetation and fallow fields, especially near water points. It tolerates lightly disturbed secondary habitats but avoids dense forest and open desert.
Altitude Range
200–2200 m
Climate Zone
Subtropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
The Arabian waxbill is a highly sociable estrildid finch restricted to the southwestern Arabian Peninsula, chiefly in Yemen and adjacent southwestern Saudi Arabia. It gathers in small, chattering flocks that move through thorn scrub and grassy wadis in search of seeding grasses. Breeding often coincides with periods of local rainfall when seeds and insects are most abundant.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, undulating flights
Social Behavior
Typically found in small flocks or family parties that maintain contact with soft calls while foraging low in grasses and shrubs. Nests are domed structures of fine grasses placed in dense shrubs or thorny bushes, sometimes near watercourses. Breeding is timed to periods of increased seed availability following rains, and pairs may raise multiple broods when conditions allow.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A soft, tinkling series of high-pitched notes interspersed with delicate trills. Contact calls are thin, sibilant tseep or tssip notes exchanged frequently within moving flocks.
Plumage
Sandy-brown upperparts with warmer buff tones and finely barred or scaled underparts; pale throat and belly with subtle dusky streaking on the flanks. Tail short and neat; overall appearance delicate with close, even feathering.
Diet
Primarily consumes small grass seeds plucked directly from seedheads or gleaned from the ground. It supplements this with tiny insects such as termites and small beetles, especially during the breeding season for added protein. Grit and fine plant matter may be ingested to aid digestion.
Preferred Environment
Forages in grassy wadis, thorn scrub edges, terraced fields, and along irrigation ditches where seeding annuals are dense. It often feeds low to the ground or within knee‑high grasses and will venture into lightly cultivated plots.
