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 during daylight hours. The governments of Botswana, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe have regularly made attempts to lessen quelea populations. The most common method to kill members of problematic flocks was by spraying the organophosphate avicide fenthion from the air on breeding colonies and roosts. In Botswana and Zimbabwe, spraying was also executed from ground vehicles and manually. Kenya and South Africa regularly used fire-bombs. Attempts during the 1950s and '60s to eradicate populations, at least regionally, failed. Consequently, management is at present directed at removing those congregations that are likely to attack vulnerable fields. Red-billed quelea