The Lavender Waxbill
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| Lavender Waxbill8,11,12,13,23 | |
| Estrilda caerulescens | |
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| Waxbill | |
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| Hardiness: | Hardy if wintered indoors |
| Reproduction: | Difficult, but reliable |
| Singing ability: | Pleasant |
| Compatibility: | Pushy, mixes well with other pushy species
[Compatibility Chart] |
| Size: | 4.5" (11 cm) |
| Approx. cost: | $ (US) per bird |
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Other common names
Lavender Finch, Red-tailed Waxbill, Red-tailed Lavender Waxbill
Note: The Black-tailed Lavender Finch or Perrein's Waxbill (
E. perreini) is similar to the Lavender Waxbill, but is considered its own species.
Origin
Africa
Area of distribution
Tropical west Africa from Senegal to southwest Chad and northern Cameroon.
Disposition
Lively, charming, active, inquisitive. May become aggressive while breeding, especially towards members of the same species.
Physical descriptions
Beak: dark crimson to black; black eye marking extends from each side of the beak to slightly past the eye; body: steel gray with a few small, white spots on the flanks; legs and feet: blackish brown; rump, tail coverts, and tail: crimson. The juvnile looks like a dull version of the adult, but lacks the white flank spots.
Sexing
Hens may be slightly smaller overall and have a slightly paler belly (less black hue). These visual sexing methods are unreliable, however. Only cock birds sing.
Song
The song is made up of a two-syllable phrase, the first note is short and high-pitched, and the second note is longer, lower-pitched, and more melodious.
Pictures
If you keep this species and have a photo of your birds to share, please
submit your photo for possible inclusion on this site! Credit will be given to you.
Favorite foods
Green food (e.g. chickweed),
live food (meal worms, ant pupae, greenfly, waxmoth larvae, aphids, daphnia, spiders, other small insects).
Natural habitat
Semi-arid grassland spotted with bushes, among short grass along thickets, within thornbushes in rocky areas.
Habits
Wild Lavender Waxbills live in pairs or small flocks. They are very fast flyers and prefer to roost in a nest at night. If no roosting nest is available, a Lavender Waxbill will sleep in a branch, sometimes with its head hanging downwards.
Special considerations
Newly imported birds will benefit from a warm environment of at least 77 °F (25 °C) until they are acclimatized. Birds which are overcrowded or housed in too small of an enclosure tend to pluck each other. One pair should therefore be housed per spacious enclosure, especially if attempting to breed. Introducing two unpaired Lavender Waxbills to each other often results in chasing and aggression, even if the birds are of the opposite sex. Introducing two birds of the same sex may result in violent fighting and injury, so always keep a close eye on this species when introducing them to each other.
Birds which have been plucked should not be housed outdoors until their feathers have regrown. Large enclosures are recommended since this species is very active. These finches are also sensitive to the cold and should be wintered indoors if adequate heating cannot be provided in an outdoor enclosure. Because this is a highly insectivorous species, natural or artificial insectivorous food should always be available. Hybrids have been reported between the Lavender Waxbill and the "Gray Waxbill" as well as with a species of Fire-finch.
Breeding season
Pairs in the wild begin nesting in the second half of the rainy season.
Breeding tips
During courtship, a male will carry a piece of nesting material while displaying to the hen with his tail angled toward her as he bobs up and down. A receptive hen will often crouch and quiver her tail, but this is rarely followed by copulation. Some hens may take the initiative and carry a piece of nesting material while displaying for the cock. When a pair is ready to copulate, the male will peck the female's nape a few times, and she will respond by crouching and quivering her tail. Pairs build nests using long grasses, coconut fiber, and plant stems; the inside of the nest is lined with finer grass fibers and feathers. Wild birds build nests within forked branches of bushes and trees. Captive birds may build high-up within thick bushes or in semi-open nest boxes. They may also make use of abandoned weaver nests. The nest entrance is constructed as a downward-sloping tube. This species has been noted to "decorate" or "camouflage" the nest by placing bits of paper, white or glossy black feathers, clumps of earth, and even dead insects or dead nestlings atop the nest. Both adults will incubate the eggs and raise the young on insects. Nestlings have blueish white gape tubercles. Providing an ample variety of
live food is necessary for successful chick rearing. Avoid
nest checks as pairs readily abandon the nest if disturbed.
Life Cycle
| Clutch size: | 4-6 eggs |
| Hatch date: | After 12-15 days of incubation |
| Fledge date: | At 16-18 days of age |
| Wean date: | 5 weeks of age |
Related Article(s)
If you own this species and would like to write an article about your experiences with them for this page, please
submit your article for possible inclusion on this site. Credit will be given to you!
Lavender Waxbills
- A Honolulu Zoo species profile.