Order Passeriformes | Phylum Chordata Scientific name Quelea cardinalis Rank Species | |
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Similar Red‑headed quelea, Red‑vented malimbe, Chestnut weaver, Blue‑billed malimbe, Red‑crowned malimbe | ||
The cardinal quelea (Quelea cardinalis) is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia.
Phylogeny
Molecular phylogeny indicates that this and related species might have originated in India and dispersed to Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats. However, the Cardinal quelea appears to belong to the Ploceidae and to be genetically unrelated to both Old and New World sparrows.
References
Cardinal quelea Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA