The red-billed quelea is the most common bird on Earth. You may have never seen one in your community, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t building a legion. These birds are native to sub-Saharan Africa, where they’re considered “agricultural pests” because their flocks can destroy entire crops. Their population fluctuates between 1 to 10 billion queleas, which makes scientists conclude that they are the most abundant birds on Earth.
100 Mind-Blowing Quelea Facts
The most common wild bird in the world isn’t the sparrow or blue jay—it’s the red-billed quelea, which lives in Africa and has an estimated population of 1.5 billion.