FINCHforum

Hi everyone... I am narrowing down my pick of finches. So far it is a tie between the Rainbow Finch, Orange Cheeked Waxbill, Orange Breasted Waxbill, Lavender Waxbill, Cordon Bleu, and the Society Finch.

If you have any knowledge on any of these species please share information with me. Thank you so very much!

I have two orange cheeked waxbills. They are by far my most flighty and easily startled. They are smaller than societies, zebras, and others. They make frequent quiet cheeping noises, they are not nearly as loud as zebras. They contact sit often and sleep side by side each night. They are very cute but do not have nearly the personality of our other types. We have two females so I can't comment on breeding.

Basically when we keep orange cheeks here in the uk we find they are best bred in a small avairy system eaither inside or out side of the birdroom, large flight cages can be used aswell.

There quite placid little birds but can be rather nervous if one gets to close to the nest,

The usual dietary requirements are there normal hard seed along with soak seed and egg food but these birds really do need to have a supply of live food for the youngsters n the form of squats, pinkies, mini meal worm, green and black fly and fruit flies.

During our winters here the length of daylight hrs are shortened considerably and we tend to use some form of heat in the birdroom IE oil filled tubular green house heaters on a thermostat ( doesn't scoff the electric as much ) and aslo keep lights on till late into the evening to maximise longer feeding hrs ,

This would be std practice here in England to keep and house waxbills efficiently, other warmer climates may not need the heating as much or the extra extended lighting

I love the look of the orange cheeks been looking for a pair for quite a while doesn'the seem to be any around I started with society,have a family of six and they are all so funny,I really like the waxbills