Red-billed quelea each nest. This species may nest several times per year when conditions are favourable. In the breeding season, males are diversely coloured. These differences in plumage do not signal condition, probably serving instead for the recognition of individual birds. However, the intensity of the red on the bills is regarded an indicator of the animal's quality and social dominance. Red-billed quelea males mate with one female only within one breeding cycle. There are usually three eggs in each clutch (though the full range is one to five) of approximately long and in diameter. The eggs are light bluish or greenish
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