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The Orange-Breasted Waxbill -
Amandava subflava
This is the ideal finch for beginners, but also one
which I will always keep as long as I breed finches. Orangebreasts are truly
beautiful little birds. The smallest estrildid finch in the world and one of the
most colourful. Well-coloured specimens never fail to impress the observer. Add to
this their placid nature and willingness to breed freely and you have the ideal
little aviary bird.
Although never referred to as an Avadavat, Orangebreasts clearly are the African
Avadavat. They share a close genetic relationship with the true avadavats,
particularly the red one (Strawberry Finch). They will readily cross with Red
Strawberries so to house them together in a breeding aviary is a big no-no.
There are two natural subspecies. A.s. subflava is the northern form with
slightly smaller body size and greater intensity and area of orange on the
underparts of the male. A.s clarkei are more yellow-fronted and are a fraction
larger than the nominate form. Australian aviary stocks are no longer kept true
to sub-species form, however the high degree of natural variation within the
species, allows us to selectively mate individuals strong in our most desired
traits. I have a clear preference for the smaller body size and strong frontal
orange colour on cocks and more intense yellow frontal colour on hens. I
endeavour to constantly improve on these traits with my Orangebreasts.
The natural range of the species covers an enormous area within tropical and southern
Africa. This indicates that they are reasonably adaptable to various aviary
microclimates, however the ideal aviary situation ,as always, is warm and dry.
Within a typical mixed species aviary, Orangebreasts are a very placid species.
They are an ideal common species to mix with rarer and more delicate species, as
they seldom display any aggressive behaviour beyond bluff. Their lack of
physical stature hardly equips them to be the dominant member of a mixed collection.
They do well either as single pairs or in a colony.
The dietary requirements of Orangebreasts are not too demanding, however they
are capable of providing truly outstanding breeding results when their every
whim is catered for. The basics of a good seed mix, grits, water and regular
greens are required for base level sustenance. Of these the Pannicums are
definitely their key preference, especially Red Pannicum. Live food is required
for dependable breeding results, but for best output of young a regular supply
of termites is the optimum. Other rearing foods mine consume are green seeds,
Lebanese cucumber, sprouted seed, tonic seed and a few mealworms. If you only
have the time or resources for a couple of these, I recommend the live termites
and green seed for best breeding results. Other breeders also use artificial softfoods, however, Orangebreasts are generally not
big softfood eaters.
I allow my pairs to breed between early March and late November. They will breed
outside this period if allowed, however, they normally undergo a heavy moult
around December-January and very little breeding occurs during this hot time of
year.
They build a small fist-sized nest structure preferring finer grasses such as
November grass for the main structure and a white feather lining. Due to the
fine nature of the materials used, the nest is generally and fairly weak
structure. For this reason, I prefer mine to use the smallest sized enclosed
cane nest baskets, which they readily choose anyway. They also like to build
their nests in tea-tree which I place at various heights in the covered section
of the aviary.
The courtship ritual is the typical Avadavat one, usually performed entirely on
the ground. Without a nest token the male will utter his delicate song whilst
dancing around the hen with triangulated head and puffed out belly feathers.
Mating immediately follows, often with the hen moving along the ground with the
male riding her like a rodeo rider.
Clutch size varies from 3-6 with 4 or 5 most common. Australian
aviary stocks are robust and genetically varied, which translates to high
fertility and excellent ability to self-rear their young. Within the March to
November breeding season my pairs normally rear at least four clutches. When
young emerge from the nest they are tiny and dark with a tuft of white down on
top of their head. At this stage they are small enough to poke their head
through the normal half-inch wire mesh which may pose a risk of predation
depending on aviary structure. For at least a few days the young are led back to
roost in the nest at night. Whilst begging to be fed by the parents, the young
raise the wing on the opposite side of their body from the parent. This, too is a
typical Avadavat habit.
Provided they are treated regularly for worms and coccidia, Orangebreasts are
generally a hardy species. I worm my birds every three months as a preventative
measure. In doing so, I alternate between several different wormers to avoid any
resistance to the chosen wormer. I treat for coccidia immediately following any
rainy periods.
Given that such a beautiful bird is so common and relatively inexpensive they
represent outstanding value when considering a finch to keep and breed. Little
wonder they are so popular.
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