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African Waxbills are my favorites. They are generally hardy and easy to care for once they are acclimated. They will capture your eye and your heart with their beautiful coloring, active cheerful personalities, and mini songs.
Although Waxbills are considered seed eaters they require added protein such as boiled egg, a commercial insect soft food or live insects along with greens, fruit and veggies, spray millet, calcium, a good vitamin mineral supplement, and cuttlebone for optimal health and long life. I also like to offer trace minerals, crushed sterilized egg shell and grit free choice year around. I think the most common health problem is inadequate diet. With a higher protein diet and clean environment African finches are as hardy as the Australian finches and keep their cages much cleaner than Societies and Canaries. Societies are ‘side wall poopers’ and canaries are famous for scattering their seeds.
Waxbills, especially the Cordon Bleus, can prove to be difficult breeders. A large amount of live insects in the diet are required during breeding and rearing of chicks. Without live foods in adequate supplies they are notorious for tossing their chicks. However a healthy compatible pair fed the right diet and caged in a spacious breeder, flight, or aviary will successfully raise beautiful healthy chicks. The secret to successful chick rearing is live food and lots of it multiple times a day. I also feed fresh greens such as broccoli and cucumber as they will feed these along with insects and seeds.
Click on the links below for more photos and information about each species of African Finch.
Blue-capped Cordon Bleu
Comparing the Blue-capped and Red-cheeked Cordon
Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu
Fire Finch - Senegal
Goldbreasted Waxbill
Orange Cheeked Waxbill