Exotic birds are no place to be, especially when you have them at home and can enjoy their company every day, right? An example of this is the Common Waxbill, which I’m sure you’ve heard of on more than one occasion.
Contents
Where does this bird come from?
It is a bird that belongs to the family of strildidae, and is known by the name of strilda astrild, although with the common name of Common Waxbill.
It is native to Sub-Saharan Africa, in Senegal, and has been widely introduced in many regions of the world as a companion animal, beautiful in appearance and much appreciated for its small size.
What’s it like physically?
If there is anything that characterizes this bird, it is its beak, whose color is reminiscent of that of a coral. Quite hard and very resistant. Their feathers are brown in colour, although there are also specimens that may be light grey in colour. The legs are usually black, but when young they are pink.
The black tail feathers contrast with the colour of the feathers on the rest of the body. In the area of the face they have a red mask, which they share with the beak, which is usually red.
One of the reasons why it has spread so far as a pet bird is because of its small size, which is usually 8 to 10 cm, and how sociable it is, both with humans and with other birds, with whom it does not mind sharing the cage.
Although it is true that it is the sale of this bird that has made it known as a pet, the reason why it has been so widespread throughout the world is due to its “escapist tendency”, which caused many domestic specimens to end up living in the wild and creating different colonies of these birds around the world.
What is there to know about their care?
The truth is that it does not require much special care. Its life expectancy is around 6 – 9 years, according to the specimen, and it requires a cage that has enough space to fly. Remember that the bars should not be too far apart, nor should there be doors in the feeder and watering trough to prevent it from escaping.
Their diet is mainly composed of canaryseed, but they can be given any combination of seeds, as long as they avoid seeds that are rich in fat. Also, it’s good to eat some vegetables, such as lettuce and carrots, as well as some fruit every now and then.
Since she has no sexual dimorphism, the only way to end her sex is through a DNA test or endoscopy. Its reproduction can be complicated, although it is a fairly cheerful and sociable bird with members of its own species, it can take a little while to match two specimens.
She’s never to be left alone. You may be able to train it to sit on your finger, but it is not highly recommended that you take it out of the cage. If you are going to do so, the room must be completely closed to prevent it from escaping. Getting him back in his cage may be difficult, but you can always use one of his favorite trinkets to do it. You’ll have to be patient, because you may find it quite difficult to achieve this.
Related Entries
