It is found in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe.

Amadinas with their heavy beaks resemble members of the Lonchura, so they are actually more closely related to the Pytilias such as the Melba finch.

[5] Linnaeus based his description on "The Sparrow of Paradise" that had been described and illustrated in 1751 by the English naturalist George Edwards in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds.

[6] This species is now placed with the cut-throat finch in the genus Amadina that was introduced in 1827 by the English naturalist William Swainson.

[8] Often seen in small flocks on dry savannahs, the red-headed finch is a ground feeder which feeds companionably with other species and often visits waterholes.