Red-billed quelea the rear flying over the entire group to a fresh feeding zone at the front, creating an image of a rolling cloud. The conservation status of red-billed quelea is least concern according to the IUCN Red List. The red-billed quelea was one of the many birds described originally by Linnaeus in the landmark 1758 10th edition of his "Systema Naturae". Classifying it in the bunting genus "Emberiza", he gave it the binomial name of "Emberiza quelea". He incorrectly mentioned that it originated in India, probably because ships from the East Indies picked up birds when visiting the African coast during
Red-billed quelea and wing coverts and flight feathers have buff margins. At an age of about five months they moult again and their plumage starts to look like that of breeding adults, with a pinkish-purple bill. Different subspecies are distinguished by different colour patterns of the male breeding plumage. In the typical subspecies, "Q. quelea quelea", breeding males have a buff crown, nape and underparts and the black mask extends high up the forehead. In " Q. quelea lathamii" the mask also extends high up the forehead, but the underparts are mainly white. In "Q. quelea aethiopica" the mask does not extend