Orange Cheeks

[EmilyHurd]

Does anyone else notice that orange cheeks don't like to perch, mine likes to hang upside down and be on the side wall???

[Hilary]

Mine do it all - perch, hang..... Busy, cute little bees, aren't they?

[debbyloo]

I have two orange cheeks and have noticed the same thing - they love to perch in all sorts of odd positions and seem to be comfortable doing it. If you really want to be entertained, gather up a large bunch of tall dry grass stalks, tie them together and hang them from some part of the cage. They will delight themselves busily hunting through them for grass seeds (and find them too - I didn't even know there were any seeds in what I gave mine, but they found them in sort order and devoured them with gusto). I am still hoping mine will prove to be a male/female pair, but I have not seen any nesting or courtship behaviour from them. I have provided them with a closed type wicker basket that is "hidden" in a bunch of this tall dried grass (attached with several big rubber bands to the basket) so they can either nest in the basket or on top in the "open" area surrounded by all the grasses. I've also provided lots of dried grass nesting material on the floor of the cage. They like to "play" in the grass, but don't see any attempt to build a nest. Do you have a male orange cheek? Have you heard him sing any "song"? Mine make their typical "alert" or "alarm" call a lot, but I have not heard a song yet I don't think. One has the pale colored vent area and the other has a bright orange one, but I hear this is unreliable.

[EmilyHurd]

I do have an orange cheek that sings... at least I think it is a song....

[EmilyHurd]

Can a hen orange cheek sing at all?

[kenny]

hi emily
they can sing a little but it is a dis jointed type of song opposed to the melodious type of song that the cock does

ken

[Carmen]

In my experience most of the birds don't like to take nesting material from the ground, so usually I just put it in the nestingbox or basket, and make a hole in it with my hand. They will finish it. I could be wrong about the Orange Cheecks though, I don''t have them, so maybe they do pick the nesting material from the ground.
You can also provide the nesting material by pulling it through the bars where they can get it from a perch nearby.
I have had Yellow Bellies making a nest, but always loosing more than half of the fibres on the ground, which became very messy. What I did was nearby a perch sticking a few fibres attached with a clip.

[debbyloo]

I am wondering if I am seeing courtship behavior, or if this is just also typical "best friend" bonding behavior. I have these 2 orange cheeks, one with the pale vent and one with the darker orange vent, and do not know if I've heard a "song" from either per say - but I am seeing some "beak fencing" accompanyied by tail twitching (from side to side). The "fencing" does not appear to be hostile or aggressive. Does anyone know if this is possibly courtship behavior? Also, has anyone bred these birds and knows what they prefer in terms of nesting materials, and what type of nest? I have a covered wicker basket hung midway the height of the cage (so about 4 ft above my house floor level) nestled in lots of tall dried grasses so very secure and hidden. I think I might be seeing the beginnings of a nest being fashioned in the midst of the grasses on top of the wicker basket, but not sure yet.

Thanks for any tips or advice about this breed.

[Crystal]

One of my pairs built a nest in a covered wicker basket using mostly boston fern leaves. Beak fencing is a common activity between members of a bonded pair in many finch species. I hope someone else with more experience with these birds can give their input as well; mine never successfully raised chicks.