What organism is the red-billed quelea?

The red-billed quelea is a small finch that flocks in vast numbers across much of sub-Saharan Africa. Flocks of over a million look like clouds of smoke, and they come in to d…rink in the later afternoon, usually accompanied by a variety of small raptors looking for an easy meal. They are a serious pest to crop farmers as they can destroy field of seed crops in a matter of hours. They nest in large colonies that they build simultaneously. Within 48 hours of their being no nest, suddenly there are thousands. One colony we saw covered over 80 Hectares. With several hundred nests in a tree, and tree density of approximately 1000/Hectare, that is ALOT of nests! The nests are typcial weaver nests, very tidy but without much of an entrance tunnel.They are a rather dull looking, small brown finch, but the males have bright red beaks. They are impressive when you see them en masse, but individually are pretty drab. As finches, they are seed-eaters. (MORE)