Red-billed Firefinch

The Red-billed Firefinch of Senegal has a very pronounced sexual dimorphism. The adult male is differentiated from the female by its predominant red colouring. The head and chest are scarlet red. The crown and nape can be slightly brown. Small white spots are visible on the sides of the chest, with their intensity varying individually. The small, conical beak is pink or red, darkened on top, underneath and at the commissure. The eye is dark brown and the eye is surrounded by a light yellow, greenish orbital ring, outside of the breeding season. The mantle, back are light brown-mottled, the wings of the same shade but much darker. The flight feathers are sometimes tinged red. The rump and upper tail coverts have the bright red colour of the head. The tail feathers are dark brown. The under tail coverts are light brown to grey. The legs are pinkish gray.
In the female, the red of the male is replaced by yellow, except on the loral and supra-ocular areas, the rump and the upper tail coverts, which are red. The back is brown-beige shaded with yellow, the head lighter than the body. The underside is a little lighter and more yellow. Small white spots can also be seen on the sides of the chest, usually more extended on the sides than in the male. The beak is pinkish or even yellowish. The orbital ring is white or gray.
The juvenile is very similar to the adult female but does not have any red on the head, or any white spots on the chest or sides. Its beak is black.