Cardinal quelea quelea, and this clade is sister to the red-billed quelea "Q. quelea". The genus "Quelea" belongs to the group of true weavers (subfamily Ploceinae), and is most related to "Foudia", a genus of six or seven species that occur on the islands of the western Indian Ocean. This clade is sister to the Asian species of the genus "Ploceus". The following tree represents current insights in the relationships between the species of "Quelea", and their closest relatives. Cardinal quelea The cardinal quelea ("Quelea cardinalis") is a species of bird in the Ploceidae family. It is found in Burundi, Democratic Republic
Red-billed quelea Sometimes called "Africa's feathered locust", the red-billed quelea is considered a serious agricultural pest in Sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, they eat wheat in the dry season, rice in the early rainy season, and sorghum/millet in the rainy season. An individual red-billed quelea eats around of grain in a day, hence a flock of 2 million individuals—not an unusual size—can consume of grain in a day, or in a month. Their wide range, enormous population and fecundity make control difficult. Traditional methods to protect crops are mainly used in subsistence farming. When the crop is vulnerable, people go into the fields,