Uraeginthus bengalus

Equatorial Africa. Found in savanna, thorn, scrub, dry bush, and cultivated areas. Sometimes in very and locales, but only where surface water is available.

DIET

Feeds mainly on the seeds of small grasses and on insects such as termites. Seen flicking earth from side to side with its beak in search of subterranean grubs. Typical of estrildids, may use one foot to hold grass stems to the ground while stripping them of their fine seeds.

SPECIFIC FEATURES

The species is dichromatic. The red cheek patch of the male is absent in the female. Young males do not "color up" until they reach between 4 and 6 months of age. The long, pointed tail and slender body gives them a more streamlined appearance than most other waxbills.

During the breeding season, Cordons are only seen in pairs but otherwise will flock in large numbers. New mates are usually chosen each breeding season, keeping the gene pool fresh.

REPRODUCTION

A dome measuring approx. 5 inches across is placed in a dense shrub 3-8 feet from the ground. Fine grasses are used for the basic construction, the interior being lined with grass panicles and soft feathers. 3-6 white eggs are incubated by the hen for 13 days and the young, fed mostly on insects for the first week, fledge after 20 days. The are independent of the adults one week later.

HABITAT DESIGN

Since they are found in grassland and scrub country, replicating this will give the best change for successful keeping and breeding. Creating places for distinct territories will cut down on aggression toward other species in the enclosure. Tall grasses and dense, dry shrubs separated by cleared areas will give them all the space they require for roosting and nest building.

 DIET

The only additional comment to the earlier data on this subject would be the need for a high protein source during breeding. This is usually given in the form of live insects such a thread mealworms, pinhead crickets, and waxworms. Cordons will snip the heads from large mealworms and extract the soft insides for feeding to their young, the exoskeleton being indigestible for the tiny chicks. It works, but the discarded body parts will call ants into the enclosure, something to be avoided whenever possible.

Some pairs will accept soaked Zu-Preem as a soft food for youngsters in the nest. They may be introduced to this supplement by placing their supply of mealworins and crickets on top of a small amount of the primate food which they will inadvertently pick up when going after the insects.

BREEDING

This species has been successfully bred in cages on many occasions. A 16xl6x3O inch cage outfitted with two different nest choices-such as a large wicker basket and a bundle of shrubbery tied at the base-has proven acceptable. Interference from other birds is eliminated but the limit of exercise for the adults may result in smaller clutch sizes and fewer clutches in a season. Also, care must be taken to remove the young as soon as they are independent to avoid potentially fatal attacks from the male.

In the aviary, the nest may be built in a basket or the hollow of a dense shrub or tangle of vine. A favorite location is in tumbleweeds where the thorns may provide protection from perceived predators. A preamble to the nest building is the courtship display I which the cock bird holds a stem of grass in his bill and performs a comical song and dance routine. Grasses are used for the superstructure and panicles, soft plant fibers, and small white feathers are used for lining. As with other Estrildids, a roosting nest for the cock is built on top of the brooding chamber.