Waxbills (Estrildidae)

Arabian Waxbill (Estrilda rufibarba) - HBW 15, p. 316

French: Astrild barbe-rousse German: Jemenastrild Spanish: Estrilda Árabe

Taxonomy: H.[abropyga] rufibarba Cabanis, 1851, Arabia.
Recent studies of mitochondrial phylogeny indicate that this is a close sister-species of E. rhodopyga. Was in the past thought to be closest to E. troglodytes, on the grounds of plumage similarities; or to E. rhodopyga, on the grounds of similarities in habitat choice and plumage; or to be a hybrid. Monotypic.

Distribution: SW Saudi Arabia and W Yemen.