We currently keep three varieties of waxbill, the orange-cheeked, the red-eared (or common) waxbill and the lavender waxbill. All are African finches and constitute by far the smallest of our residents. We have three orange-cheeked, 2 pairs of red-eared and a pair of lavenders. Each of the 3 types of waxbill are always together either feeding, preening or just roosting as these photographs suggest.

They are hardy and make excellent community birds, fitting in easily with everything else. I have only seen ours feed on seed which they take either from the pots or from the ground. They often roost in small bushes and shrubs rather than on the open branches.

We had some sorghum seed itself from the finch mix and I had been curious to know how they feed from the heads of seed. One day I watched a Lavender land on one stalk and bend it over until it met with an adjacent stalk. The bird then balance on the two, being able to stand more or less upright and fed off the base of the head. Something to try and capture on film, one day.

They are not possible to sex and so we have bought 3 or more at a time. In the past, a pair of lavenders nested and laid eggs but they were disturbed by a kakariki. However, our orange-cheeked have successfully raised a clutch of chicks. They built their nest on the ground under a cottoneaster and the chicks can be seen in the gallery.

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