Africa Wild

Waxbill, any of several Old World tropical birds named for the prominent red (the colour of sealing wax) of their conical bills. The name is used generally for birds of the family Estrildidae (order Passeriformes); less broadly for those of the tribe Estrildini of that family; and particularly for the 28 species of the genus Estrilda, which includes some popular domesticated birds. Waxbills are seedeaters that go about in compact flocks and nest in tall grass. Individuals of most species are brown or grayish, with touches of red, yellow, or black; most have fine barring. The 10-centimetre (4-inch) common waxbill (E. astrild) is brown above and pinkish below; it is common in Africa—the home of most species of the genus—and has been introduced into Brazil. The lavender waxbill (E. coerulescens) has a wine red bill and tail. Certain other waxbill species are known by the name Cordon bleu.

Estrildidae, songbird family, order Passeriformes, consisting of approximately 140 species of waxbills and other small finchlike birds of the Old World, many of which are favourite cage birds.
Members range in size from 7.5 to 15 cm (3 to 6 inches) long. They have short, stout bills and short legs and display a wide variety of colours and patterns. These gregarious ground feeders search for seeds, berries, and insects. Waxbills are poor singers, their songs being interspersed with chirps, buzzes, and chatters; but their bright colours, liveliness, and adaptability recommend them to bird fanciers. The family’s members include mannikins and munias (Lonchura), cordon bleus and grenadiers (Uraeginthus), fire finches (Lagonosticta), waxbills (Estrilda), parrot finches (Erythrura), and negro finches (Nigrita). Some classifications also include the whydahs.
The waxbills are sometimes listed as a subfamily (Estrildinae) in the weaverfinch family (Ploceidae). The Estrildidae family belongs to the songbird suborder (Passeri).

Cordon bleu, any of three species of birds belonging to the genus (or subgenus) Uraeginthus of the waxbill family Estrildidae (order Passeriformes). The birds, including some popular cage birds, are native to Africa, where they frequent villages and farms. A widespread species is the 13-centimetre (5-inch) red-cheeked cordon bleu (U. bengalus), occurring from Senegal and Congo (Kinshasa) to Somalia and Zimbabwe. It is brown and pale blue, with red cheek spot (in the male only) and longish pointed tail. The two other species are the blue-capped cordon bleu (U. cyanocephalus) and the Angola cordon bleu (U. angolensis), also called the Angola waxbill, or blue-breasted waxbill.
@ Encyclopaedia britanica

please, tell me if it's comprehensive... what I have to change... etc...

in South Africa :

Black-faced Waxbill
Alternative name: Black-cheeked Waxbill
Estrilda erythronotos

Disambiguation : the name Black-faced Waxbill is sometimes also used for the species Estrilda nigriloris.
Identification : Small (11-12 cm) with black face and red rump, flanks and upper belly. Tail is black and wings are barred black and grey-buff.
Distribution and habitat : It occurs in two separate areas of sub-Saharan Africa roughly 1300 km apart; one in East Africa from Uganda to Tanzania and the other population extending from southern Zambia and Angola to southern Africa. Here it is common from western Zimbabwe and northern and north-eastern South Africa to Botswana and Namibia, generally favouring arid thornveld savanna and thornbush with permanent bodies of water
Predators and parasites : It has been found heavily infested with ticks (specifically Hyalomma marginatumi).

Food : It mainly eats grass seeds taken directly from plants, supplemented with insects, fruit and nectar, doing most of its foraging in the morning in pairs or small groups. The following food items have been recorded in its diet:
•Plants
◦grass seeds (Buffelsgras)
◦fruit (waxberry plant)
◦flowers(Buffalo-thorn)
◦nectar (Spotted aloe)
•Insects◦ termites / Coleoptera (beetles) / caterpillars (larval stage of Lepidoptera)

Breeding
•Monogamous, territorial solitary nester, with pairs staying together for at least 3-15 months.
•The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a thick-walled ball of grass leaves and inflorescences with a long entrance tunnel on the bottom. It may also add a cup-shaped false nest to the top of the structure, probably because it distracts predators from the real entrance. The interior is lined with soft, fine grass inflorescences such as Aristida, love-grass (Eragrostis barbinodis), Natal redtop (Melinis repens) and Blousaadgras (Tricholaena monachne). It is typically placed in a dense clump of twigs in the uppermost branches of a thorny tree, often Umbrella thorn (Acacia tortilis), often building a new nest every breeding season in the same tree.
•Egg-laying season is from December-May, peaking from January-March.
•It lays 2-6 eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for about 12 days (recorded in captivity).
•The chicks leave the nest after about 22 days and can fend for themselves roughly 10 days (recorded in captivity).
Threats : Not threatened.

References
•Hockey PAR, Dean WRJ and Ryan PG 2005. Roberts - Birds of southern Africa, VIIth ed. The Trustees of the John Voelcker Bird Book Fund, Cape Town.
And birdforum.net

10.3.2013 Kgalagadi

Waxbills are the most beautiful little ones.

I can do an entry for the Grey Waxbill, if you want, nan. Just tell me

you can entry what you like
and a Grey will be very welcome

Grey Waxbill Estrilda perreini

A truly elegant little bird


Tembe Elephant Park

Identification
Size small; length 10,5-11 cm; sexes alike; tail longish, graduated, black; mostly grey, paler below; chin and eyestripe black (eyestripe red in Common Waxbill); rump crimson, conspicuous in flight (grey in Common Waxbill); undertail blackish. Iris red; bill blue-grey, tip and cutting edges black; legs and feet greenish black.
Immature: Lacks black eyestripe; rump duller red.

Distribution
In South Africa scarce and confined to extreme east, from southern KwaZulu-Natal northwards; also inland in Gauteng to Haenertsburg and Magoebaskloof. Very common in eastern Zimbabwe.

Habitat
Edges of lowland and mid-altitude evergreen forest, coastal bush, riverine forest, thickets, dense secondary growth, and adjacent woodland.

Habits
Solitary or in pairs. Inconspicuous and easily overlooked. Forages off standing grass inflorescences or on ground, usually in or close to dense cover; may also forage in canopy.

Food
Seeds (probably mainly of grasses), insects, nectar.

Breeding
Season: October to February in KwaZulu-Natal, October to April in Zimbabwe. Nest: Oval of dry grass tops and ferns, with side entrance tube about 7,5 cm long; lined with fine grass and feathers; 1,5-4 m above ground in bush or tree; sometimes in old nest of Forest Weaver. Clutch: 2-5 eggs (usually 4-5). Incubation: 12 days, by both sexes. Nestling: 19-21 days.

never seen this one

Blue Waxbill
The Cordon Bleu Waxbill
Uraeginthus angolensis


Both sexes sing, but the male's song is longer and more complex. Songs may vary between individuals and are often accompanied by a courtship display.
Cock singing (.mp3, .15 MB)
Favorite foods :Green food (e.g. dandelion, chickweed [Stellaria media]), insects (mealworms, flying termites, ant eggs, green aphids)

Natural habitat :The savannas, thorn scrub country, dry woodland regions, and cultivated areas (with bushes/shrubs/gardens) in villages or near roadsides of tropical Africa--mainly the southeastern regions where nests are built in thick thorn bushes.

Habits :Usually form pairs which join in small flocks. Cordon Bleus do not roost in nests at night unless they are incubating eggs or brooding young. Instead, they tend to sleep (and rest) "clumped" next to their mate on perches. They tend to only allo-preen their own mate, but may accept allo-preening from other small estrildids such as the Goldbreasted waxbill. Cordon Bleus drink by sucking up water, and many owners report that they love to bathe in water.

Special considerations :These somewhat delicate birds require a dry, somewhat warm (no cooler than 65°F [18°C]) environment to thrive. Because the hens of all three subspecies look so similar, take care not to cross breed the species.

Breeding season : In the wild, cordon bleus pair off and build nests (often among thorns and close to wasp nests) after the rainy season ends (usually January to June) when termites and green seeds are plentiful. These birds may be stimulated to breed at nearly any time in captivity, as long as the ambient temperature is kept warm, the enclosure is kept dry, and plenty of live food is provided. Spring-Summer breeding is recommended.
Breeding tips : These birds make use of ample hiding opportunities, especially during breeding. Therefore a fairly well-planted aviary or spacious flight with plenty of seclusion will do nicely. Cordon Bleus may engage in "sexual chasing" where the male pecks at and chases the female he is bonded to, especially if their courtship display is interrupted by another male. This is thought to occur in order to drive the hen away from the presence of possible rivals. In the courtship display, a male will hold a piece of nesting material (usually a long piece of grass or a white feather) in his beak; he will perch near the female with his tail angled toward her and sing while bobbing up-and-down and throwing his head back each time he rises. If the female is on the ground, the male may hop around her as he displays. Females may also mimic this courtship display. As long as the female is receptive, most courtship displays result in the female crouching and quivering her tail to solicit copulation; the male may peck at the hen's head (not in a harmful way) just before mounting her. Breeding birds should be limited to a single pair per flight/aviary, with half open nest boxes and wicker nests for nesting. Coconut fiber, fine grass, and pale or white feathers should be provided for nesting material. Make sure these materials are available throughout incubation, as pairs will often add feathers to the lining of the nest around the time the young hatch. Ample live food (mealworms, waxworms, termites) is essential for breeding birds to successfully rear chicks. You may also provide "insectivore diets" such as Avico's Bugs-n-Berries and dried ant eggs. Once chicks hatch, dishes of insects (live and/or dried) will need to be refilled several times daily. If the birds sense a shortage of live food, they will abandon their young or toss their chicks from the nest. No nest checks should be performed as these birds scare easily from the nest. Chicks hatch with reddish skin and fawn colored down. Once young fledge the nest, they tend not to return to it, even during the first few nights after fledging. Because young birds are especially susceptible to the cold and dampness, these birds should only be bred during the warmer months unless the aviary/flight can be heated and kept dry.

Life Cycle
Clutch size: 3-6 eggs
Incubation date: After the third egg is laid; both parents incubate the eggs during the day; the female incubates at night
Hatch date: After 11-14 days of incubation
Fledge date: At 14-19 days of age
Wean date: 4-6 weeks of age (about 2 weeks after fledging)
First molt: 3.5-5.5 months of age


Kruger 10.3.2011

Common Waxbill
Estrilda astrild
Passeriforme Order – Estrildidae Family

BIOMETRICS: Length: 10 cm

LONGEVITY: Up to 8 years

DESCRIPTION: Common Waxbill has grey upperparts, finely, but conspicuously barred grey-brown.
Underparts are pinkish-beige, barred dark grey on the flanks. In the middle of the belly, we can see an elongated bright red patch, more or less conspicuous according to each bird. This patch becomes paler while extending to breast and body sides.
The tail is fairly broad at base. Undertail coverts and vent are blackish. The tip area is black and whitish.
On the head, the crown is slaty-grey, slightly washed brown. The whitish colour of the throat extends to the head sides and neck. A broad bright red eye-stripe includes the eye, and extends from lores to ear-covert area.
The conical, strong glossy bill is bright red. Eyes are brown. Legs and feet are dark grey.
Juvenile is similar in plumage but duller and with black bill.
Immature has pinkish bill.

When in flocks, the Common Waxbill utters contact calls when taking off and while flying, some nasal warblers such as “tientientientien”.
The courtship song by male is nasal too, highly rhythmical, and uttered in series more or less extended “tretrehiep-tretrehiep-tretrehiep”. We also can hear a rapid and modulated “tchit-tchit-djuhi-tchit-tchit-djuhi”.
HABITAT: Common Waxbill forages in dry and grassy areas with shrivelled shrubs, and mainly near water. It frequents open lands, pastures and urban areas. It also may be found at forest edges and in clearings.

RANGE: Common Waxbill is found in sub-Saharan Africa. It has been introduced in numerous tropical islands. It is well adapted in Cap-vert Islands, and in south and centre of Spain.
We can also find it in Brazil, New Caledonia and Hawaii, and in numerous warm regions.

BEHAVIOUR: Common Waxbill is very gregarious. It often moves in large flocks, and the birds gather at night at communal roosts.
This species breeds during the rainy season, when insects are sufficiently numerous for feeding the clutch.
The nest is often parasitized by the Pin-tailed Whydah (Vidua macroura).
But the chicks of the Whydah do not destroy the Waxbill’s eggs as several Cuckoos do, and we can often see adult Common Waxbills raising mixed broods.

FLIGHT: Common Waxbill has rounded wings, allowing it to take off with very rapid wing-beats.

REPRODUCTION: Common Waxbill’s nest is an elaborated structure, with a “roost” above the nest itself. The nest is covered and made with grasses.
It is situated on the ground, and is very similar to a ball of dry grasses and coconut fibres, with narrow entrance tunnel, and with second nest on top of the other for the male.
Female lays 1-4 white eggs. Incubation lasts about 10 days.
The chicks are particularly noisy, and when they start growing up, they beg for food with loud calls between 10 and 20 days of age. Then, they leave the nest and harass their parents to be fed. They are able to fly 15 days after hatching.

DIET: Common Waxbill feeds mainly on seeds taken on the ground or in the grasses’ ears. It also consumes flying termites.

PROTECTION/THREATS/STATUS : Common Waxbill is often raised and sold as cage-bird. But the species is common and populations are not threatened at this moment

Fr : Astrild ondulé
All : Wellenastrild
Ital : Astrilde comune
Nd : Sint-helenafazantje
Russe : Волнистый астрильд

Text by Nicole Bouglouan /source : oiseaux-birds.com



Kirstenbosch 13.10.2012

Swee Waxbill
Coccopygia melanotis

Other common names :
Yellow-bellied Waxbill, Green Waxbill, Dufresne's Waxbill (black-masked forms)


Origin : Africa

Disposition : Peaceful, friendly, active, relatively tame.

Physical descriptions : In general, the Swee Waxbill has a black upper bill, red lower bill, grey head and chest, olive back and wings with fine dark cross-barring, red rump, black tail, buff or yellow belly, and black legs. Cocks of some of the sub-species (southern & eastern forms) also sport a black mask. Juveniles have an all-black bill, lack cross-barring, have pale rust-orange rump, and are duller overall in color compared to an adult
Sexing
In some of the subspecies (E. m. melanotis, E. m. bocagei) the cock bird sports a black mask which the hen lacks. In general, hens of all subspecies are paler on the belly compared to the cock bird.

Song : Song is described as somewhat loud, but simplistic.

Favorite foods : Small millet (dry and soaked/sprouted), fresh/green spray millet, seeding dandelion, chickweed, greens (lettuce, grass shoots), small insects (grubs, pupae, whiteworms), egg food.

Natural habitat : Where grass is thick along watercourses, at forest edge and in forest clearings, mountain slopes and hilly areas, cultivated areas, gardens.

Habits : Prefers not to socialize with other species in the wild; lives in pairs while breeding or small flocks outside of the breeding season. Feeds on seeding grasses (e.g. Panicum maximum,), other plants, and small insects. Pairs commonly allopreen. Pairs build rounded nests in bushes, within abandoned weavers' nests, and in small trees, using grass stalks. The inside of the nest is lined with plant silks and feathers. Young are primarily fed insects.
Special considerations : Minimum environmental/ambient temperature recommendation is 63-65 °F (17-18 °C). Subspecies do not seem to show a tendency for interbreeding. Can be housed comfortably in a large cage or aviary; mixes well with other peaceful species. Swees prefer to stay off the ground and may appreciate having their food & water dishes elevated.

Breeding season : During the African rainy season.

Breeding tips : Aviary breeding recommended, preferably planted with bushes and climbing vines for birds to build their nests within. Provide coconut fiber, grasses, and feathers for nest construction. Copulation is most likely to occur within the nest. Breeding pairs should be provided ample live food, eggfood, greens, and fresh seeds wile breeding and rearing chicks; they may also need additional vitamin supplements. No nest checks should be performed as these birds scare easily from the nest. Chicks hatch with long, light-colored down. Once young fledge the nest, they may try to return to the nest to roost, and should therefore be removed from the breeding enclosure once they are weaned to prevent disruption to subsequent broods.

Life Cycle
Clutch size: 4-6 eggs
Hatch date: After 12-13 days incubation.
Fledge date: Around 21 days of age.
Wean date: No data.

Source : finchinfo.com





Kirstenbosch 13.10.2012