299:
133:
177:
152:
25:
303:
306:
305:
301:
300:
307:
304:
534:
Small green and ripe millets form the primary seed diet. They usually harvest these directly from the ripening heads; placing bundles of gathered seeding grasses in the enclosure not only adds to the enjoyment of the keeper but helps provide variety in the diet as well. Any species growing locally is
525:
Orange cheeks like a lot of grass. They eat the seed heads, forage at roots for tiny insects, and build their nests directly in grass. Some open tall shrubbery and dead, scraggly branches should be provided for roosting. The floor should be composed of a good, dry substrate. Otherwise, the enclosure
366:
This species prefers to nest close to or directly on the ground in tangled clumps of tall grass. They will collect the surrounding grass stems together, especially old seed heads (panicles), helping to camouflage the structure. Fine white feathers line the interior where three to six tiny white eggs
538:
Additionally, small mealworms, fruit flies, and pinhead crickets (which some will take and others will not) should be offered, especially during breeding. Some pairs will learn to take soft food substitutes, others will not but most will raise young on seed alone, if no other offerings are made. A
547:
Orange cheeks will nest in colonies or as single pairs. As noted, they usually prefer a location in a dense clump of grass or other very low vegetative growth. Nests may even be placed directly on the ground, which is why it should be kept as dry as possible. This location also begs invasion by
345:
are the best clue of their presence. Like most estridids, they are very acrobatic in their movements on twigs and grass stems, "climbing" up and down verticals and hanging upside down while feeding. Males usually have brighter orange patches on the abdomen.
302:
375:
Originating in
Western Africa, they are found in open grassland with light tree and/or shrub coverage, also along watercourses, in gardens and cultivated fields. They are also commonly found in dry savannah habitats of
526:
should have stands of clump and/or runner grasses and reeds which grow 40 cm or taller. Care should be taken to establish walkways through the grass for maintaining the habitat so nests will not be stepped on.
358:. They hang on the stems and harvest the ripe or green seeds, sometimes while hanging upside down. Small insects such as termites, aphids, and gnats are taken during the breeding season.
367:
will be incubated for 13 days. Fledglings leave the nest after around 23 days looking similar to their parents but sporting duller orange ear coverts for the first few months.
1048:
852:
904:
1068:
1038:
488:. It also has a recent range expansion into western parts of Uganda. It also can be found at subtropical/ tropical (lowland) wet shrubland habitats. The
539:
gentle species, they will be easily bullied at the feeding station if only one is provided and they share their enclosure with more aggressive species.
535:
acceptable; be sure to collect from sources free of contaminants such as pesticides. They enjoy spray millet and fresh fruits and vegetables as well.
1010:
826:
865:
42:
943:
774:
89:
628:
548:
vermin such as mice and rats, so rodent control is imperative. A feather pillow provides a good supply of fine feathers for lining.
108:
61:
1063:
417:
787:
68:
46:
870:
1058:
891:
75:
611:
341:
The orange-cheeked waxbill lives in small family parties or flocks of thirty of more individuals. Their high-pitched
909:
805:
57:
35:
1053:
818:
176:
917:
401:
922:
712:
639:
288:
271:
677:
589:
132:
354:
They feed on tiny grass seeds, which they collect from the ground or, more often, directly from grass
761:
704:
686:
82:
505:
141:
413:
171:
857:
1043:
956:
883:
735:
421:
409:
961:
584:
717:
930:
326:
691:
566:
813:
800:
1032:
878:
575:
509:
493:
441:
161:
156:
1001:
740:
477:
389:
974:
792:
727:
896:
839:
671:
497:
465:
238:
24:
662:
969:
453:
779:
228:
188:
995:
935:
656:
397:
248:
208:
1015:
831:
699:
473:
461:
445:
393:
385:
355:
333:, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 3,600,000 km.
844:
501:
485:
469:
437:
429:
377:
330:
198:
633:
753:
748:
457:
433:
425:
381:
297:
948:
766:
489:
481:
449:
405:
218:
637:
18:
985:
646:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
590:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2018-2.RLTS.T22719558A131994459.en
8:
634:
150:
131:
122:
588:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
1049:Birds of the African tropical rainforest
629:BirdLife International species factsheet
557:
492:has classified the species as being of
7:
819:d97efb45-39bd-4e03-9e3c-3dbc1f8915c9
47:adding citations to reliable sources
1069:Taxa named by Louis Pierre Vieillot
1039:IUCN Red List least concern species
576:IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
14:
311:An orange-cheeked waxbill singing
418:Democratic Republic of the Congo
175:
23:
565:BirdLife International (2018).
34:needs additional citations for
329:native to western and central
1:
612:"Avise's Birds of the World"
1085:
583:: e.T22719558A131994459.
325:) is a common species of
277:
270:
172:Scientific classification
170:
148:
139:
130:
125:
402:Central African Republic
58:"Orange-cheeked waxbill"
1064:Birds described in 1817
126:Orange-cheeked waxbill
496:. It is introduced on
317:orange-cheeked waxbill
312:
310:
1059:Birds of Puerto Rico
814:Fauna Europaea (new)
43:improve this article
506:Southern California
142:Conservation status
313:
1026:
1025:
987:Fringilla melpoda
957:Open Tree of Life
640:Taxon identifiers
422:Equatorial Guinea
410:Republic of Congo
308:
296:
295:
165:
119:
118:
111:
93:
1076:
1054:Birds of Bermuda
1019:
1018:
1006:
1005:
1004:
978:
977:
975:Estrilda-melpoda
965:
964:
952:
951:
939:
938:
926:
925:
913:
912:
900:
899:
897:NHMSYS0020789066
887:
886:
874:
873:
861:
860:
848:
847:
835:
834:
822:
821:
809:
808:
796:
795:
783:
782:
770:
769:
757:
756:
744:
743:
731:
730:
721:
720:
708:
707:
705:1E79A7D7AEE67569
695:
694:
692:Estrilda_melpoda
682:
681:
680:
678:Estrilda melpoda
667:
666:
665:
648:Estrilda melpoda
635:
616:
615:
608:
602:
601:
599:
597:
592:
569:Estrilda melpoda
562:
504:, Singapore and
322:Estrilda melpoda
309:
283:
281:Estrilda melpoda
180:
179:
159:
154:
153:
135:
123:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1084:
1083:
1079:
1078:
1077:
1075:
1074:
1073:
1029:
1028:
1027:
1022:
1014:
1009:
1000:
999:
994:
981:
973:
968:
960:
955:
947:
942:
934:
931:Observation.org
929:
921:
916:
908:
903:
895:
890:
882:
877:
869:
864:
856:
851:
843:
838:
830:
825:
817:
812:
804:
799:
791:
786:
778:
773:
765:
760:
752:
747:
739:
734:
726:
724:
716:
711:
703:
698:
690:
685:
676:
675:
670:
661:
660:
655:
642:
625:
620:
619:
610:
609:
605:
595:
593:
564:
563:
559:
554:
545:
532:
523:
518:
373:
364:
352:
339:
327:estrildid finch
298:
292:
285:
279:
266:
263:E. melpoda
174:
166:
155:
151:
144:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
16:Species of bird
12:
11:
5:
1082:
1080:
1072:
1071:
1066:
1061:
1056:
1051:
1046:
1041:
1031:
1030:
1024:
1023:
1021:
1020:
1007:
991:
989:
983:
982:
980:
979:
966:
953:
940:
927:
914:
901:
888:
875:
862:
849:
836:
823:
810:
801:Fauna Europaea
797:
784:
771:
758:
745:
732:
722:
709:
696:
683:
668:
652:
650:
644:
643:
638:
632:
631:
624:
623:External links
621:
618:
617:
603:
556:
555:
553:
550:
544:
541:
531:
528:
522:
519:
517:
514:
372:
369:
363:
360:
351:
348:
338:
335:
294:
293:
286:
275:
274:
268:
267:
260:
258:
254:
253:
246:
242:
241:
236:
232:
231:
226:
222:
221:
216:
212:
211:
206:
202:
201:
196:
192:
191:
186:
182:
181:
168:
167:
149:
146:
145:
140:
137:
136:
128:
127:
117:
116:
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1081:
1070:
1067:
1065:
1062:
1060:
1057:
1055:
1052:
1050:
1047:
1045:
1042:
1040:
1037:
1036:
1034:
1017:
1012:
1008:
1003:
997:
993:
992:
990:
988:
984:
976:
971:
967:
963:
958:
954:
950:
945:
941:
937:
932:
928:
924:
919:
915:
911:
906:
902:
898:
893:
889:
885:
880:
876:
872:
867:
863:
859:
854:
850:
846:
841:
837:
833:
828:
824:
820:
815:
811:
807:
802:
798:
794:
789:
785:
781:
776:
772:
768:
763:
759:
755:
750:
746:
742:
737:
733:
729:
723:
719:
714:
710:
706:
701:
697:
693:
688:
684:
679:
673:
669:
664:
658:
654:
653:
651:
649:
645:
641:
636:
630:
627:
626:
622:
613:
607:
604:
591:
586:
582:
578:
577:
572:
570:
561:
558:
551:
549:
542:
540:
536:
529:
527:
520:
515:
513:
511:
510:United States
507:
503:
499:
495:
494:least concern
491:
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
442:Guinea-Bissau
439:
435:
431:
427:
423:
419:
415:
414:Côte d'Ivoire
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
391:
387:
383:
379:
370:
368:
361:
359:
357:
349:
347:
344:
336:
334:
332:
328:
324:
323:
318:
290:
284:
282:
276:
273:
272:Binomial name
269:
265:
264:
259:
256:
255:
252:
251:
247:
244:
243:
240:
237:
234:
233:
230:
229:Passeriformes
227:
224:
223:
220:
217:
214:
213:
210:
207:
204:
203:
200:
197:
194:
193:
190:
187:
184:
183:
178:
173:
169:
163:
158:
157:Least Concern
147:
143:
138:
134:
129:
124:
121:
113:
110:
102:
99:November 2010
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
986:
647:
606:
594:. Retrieved
580:
574:
568:
560:
546:
537:
533:
524:
478:Sierra Leone
390:Burkina Faso
374:
365:
362:Reproduction
353:
342:
340:
321:
320:
316:
314:
280:
278:
262:
261:
249:
120:
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
918:Neotropical
840:iNaturalist
672:Wikispecies
596:12 November
498:Puerto Rico
466:Puerto Rico
239:Estrildidae
1033:Categories
1002:Q109578184
970:Xeno-canto
552:References
454:Mauritania
69:newspapers
516:Captivity
257:Species:
195:Kingdom:
189:Eukaryota
1044:Estrilda
996:Wikidata
884:22719558
858:10856776
767:45511021
718:22719558
713:BirdLife
663:Q1084995
657:Wikidata
543:Breeding
398:Cameroon
356:panicles
337:Behavior
289:Vieillot
250:Estrilda
235:Family:
209:Chordata
205:Phylum:
199:Animalia
185:Domain:
162:IUCN 3.1
1016:4408723
949:1484443
832:2493669
700:Avibase
521:Habitat
508:in the
474:Senegal
462:Nigeria
446:Liberia
394:Burundi
386:Bermuda
291:, 1817)
245:Genus:
225:Order:
215:Class:
160: (
83:scholar
962:102066
923:orcwax
910:247542
871:179612
788:EURING
780:101284
754:orcwax
728:orcwax
502:Saipan
486:Zambia
484:, and
470:Rwanda
438:Guinea
430:Gambia
416:, the
408:, the
378:Angola
371:Origin
331:Africa
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
936:78142
853:IRMNG
845:13780
806:97449
793:20430
775:EUNIS
749:eBird
741:3BKGV
725:BOW:
458:Niger
434:Ghana
426:Gabon
382:Benin
343:peeps
90:JSTOR
76:books
1011:GBIF
944:OBIS
905:NCBI
879:IUCN
866:ITIS
827:GBIF
598:2021
581:2018
530:Diet
490:IUCN
482:Togo
450:Mali
406:Chad
350:Diet
315:The
219:Aves
62:news
892:NBN
762:EoL
736:CoL
687:ADW
585:doi
45:by
1035::
1013::
998::
972::
959::
946::
933::
920::
907::
894::
881::
868::
855::
842::
829::
816::
803::
790::
777::
764::
751::
738::
715::
702::
689::
674::
659::
579:.
573:.
512:.
500:,
480:,
476:,
472:,
468:,
464:,
460:,
456:,
452:,
448:,
444:,
440:,
436:,
432:,
428:,
424:,
420:,
412:,
404:,
400:,
396:,
392:,
388:,
384:,
380:,
614:.
600:.
587::
571:"
567:"
319:(
287:(
164:)
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
