Munias, Parrotfinches, Waxbills, and Allies
Green Avadavat
Amandava formosa
VUVulnerable Endemic to India
- Family
- Munias, Parrotfinches, Waxbills, and Allies (Estrildidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The green avadavat or green munia (Amandava formosa) is a species of Estrildid finch with green and yellow on the body, a bright red bill and black "zebra stripes" on the flanks. They are endemic to the Indian subcontinent and were formerly popular as cagebirds. The name "avadavat" is a corruption of the name the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India, which was a centre of bird trade. They have a restricted distribution and populations are threatened by the bird trade.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Locally in grassland and scrub of peninsular India.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Green avadavat
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
