In a truly remarkable encounter, our team at Aswan Birdwatching captured an extraordinary scene on video: three Crimson‑Rumped Waxbills (Estrilda rhodopyga) cooling off in the shimmering waters of Lake Nasser, Aswan, Egypt.
This delicate, ruby‑flanked finch is not commonly recorded in Egypt, making this observation one of the very first documented records for the Egyptian avifauna. Watching them dip, flutter, and refresh themselves in the lake is not only beautiful—it’s history in the making for bird enthusiasts across the country.
The video of Crimson-Rumped Waxbills was captured by Ismael Khalifa, founder of Aswan Birdwatching, on July 13th during a specialized birding trip on Lake Nasser, north of Abu Simbel.
Scientific Note
The Crimson‑Rumped Waxbill (Estrilda rhodopyga) is a small estrildid finch native to eastern and central Africa. Its presence in Egypt has long been considered improbable, with no verified breeding records. This video represents one of the earliest documented observations of the species in the Egyptian avifauna, recorded at Lake Nasser, Aswan, in July 2025. For more information about Crimson-Rumped Waxbill from Birdlife Data-zone click Here.
Stay Tuned!
Enjoy the above exclusive footage and be among the first to witness a species rewriting Egypt’s bird list. Stay tuned for more rare encounters from the wild heart of Aswan.
Nice find Ismail! Do you know what the status is of this bird in Sudan?
Thanks a lot, dear Henk,
According to Birdlife data-zone, it is native to Sudan but not resident.
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Thanks for your support 🙏
Kudos Ismael! Nice!
Thanks a lot dear Andrzej 🙏💐