Red-billed quelea A sociable bird, the red-billed quelea tolerates mixed-species aviaries. Keeping many individuals mimics its natural occurrence in large flocks. This species withstands frosts, but requires shelter from rain and wind. Affixing hanging branches, such as hawthorn, in the cage facilitates nesting. Adults are typically given a diet of tropical seeds enriched with grass seeds, augmented by living insects such as mealworms, spiders, or boiled shredded egg during the breeding season. Fine stone grit and calcium sources, such as shell grit and cuttlebone, provide nutrients as well. If provided with material like fresh grass or coconut fibre they can be bred.
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