Waxbill (Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu)

Red cheeks are from across Central Africa. The Red Cheeked commonly venture into areas of human habitation and spend a lot of time on the ground seeking out fallen seeds and minute insect life.

Red Cheeked Cordon Bleus are very popular aviary birds and mix well in collections of small finches and seed eaters.

Breeding In the wild, nests often are in thorn bushes. Nests are roundish and quite small with a side entrance and built of grass stems. In captivity will use wicker baskets lined with grass or coconut fibre and some feathers. The clutch is usually three to six eggs and incubation usually starts with the third egg. Sexes take turns with incubation which lasts around 11 days and young fledge at 17 to 19 days.

Photographed at Bird Kingdom, Niagara Falls, Ontario