Taxonomy/Origins: This is one of Africa's more common waxbills and originates from central Africa. It much prefers a moderate to warm enviorment with all drafts absent. I will describe how we Australians breed this specie, and by adapting and using basic avicultural methods you should breed this species on a regular basis.
Subspecies: There are a number of races and several very closely related species. In fact the Red Ear Waxbill (or Common Waxbill) is possibly the best known of the closely related group. Where birds are regularly imported you will find more experienced people than I to explain the differences (link to article explaining differences). In Australia we have several of this group but the St Helena is the most common and most often bred.
Plumage Colouration: Most aviculture books have pictures describing this bird and this will explain far better than I can in words, especially the differences between sub-species.
Sexing: To sex this specie the most accurate and easiest way is to turn the bird over and look at the feathers from the vent to the tip of the tail.The male has jet black feathers and the female has black/brown to light brown feathers. Don't go by the amount of red as a good quality hen can be better in colour than a poor example of a male. The male will also display and call, but not always to a female though.
Feeding: They take the simple finch type seed mix, and all other tit bits offered to your other smaller waxbill types. Mealworms are taken and they will sit quietly running the mealworm skin back and forth extracting every last morsel. Finer type seeding grasses are relished particularly when young are in the nest.
Housing: They are far better breeders in an aviary where the male can display and court the female. I have seen very successful results from an aviary 8 feetx 3 feet x 6 feet high. Provided drafts are kept to a minimum they will survive outside provided that the temperature stays above freezing. They will mix with other small waxbills and I have never found them aggressive.
Breeding: Over the last 20 years this would be our most productive specie. Single pairs generally rear larger clutches of young when 5 or 6 is common. As we use this specie as host to rear Pintailed Whydahs they are kept and bred in large colonies. Generally they don't need anything special to get them to nest and will breed continually until the wet cold weather returns. They will build their own ball shaped grass nest with a sort of male roosting section on the top located in the brush in the shelter or a pile of meadow hay on the floor (if no quail are present). If there are tussocks of grass in the outside flight section they will build on the ground up against the tussock.When we want to have them rear the Pintails we hold back all nesting materials,When we want them to breed, all we do is drop an arm full of a very fine grass in the aviary and around 20 pairs would have completed nests within 24 hours. The 4 to 8 white eggs hatch around 12 to 14 days and fledge in approx. 18 days, depending on weather conditions. Young look like a small version of their parents but with black beaks and gape spots. They will beg for food from their parents or any other bird close by for around 21 days before becoming fully independant. You can leave the young with the parents. Young fledged early in the season will nest late in the same season.
Hints/tips: If possible purchase 3 pairs, let them go and watch which birds bond together. Keep them and move or trade the remainder. When purchasing stock try and get birds in good feather, if this can't be make sure that any broken or badly damaged tail feathers are removed (after a week or so of getting them) New feathers will grow back rapidly and are important to the birds display.
Unique Characteristics: They are easily catered for and should be treated like most small seed eaters. If they are being harassed remove the dominating species, as the St. Helena Waxbills and possibly all the others won't breed and will just be miserable. There are several mutations in Australia, the fawn is quite nice with all brown feathers replaced with a warm fawn colour and all red is intensified. In another, the red is replaced with yellow and there are also pieds available.
Extra: Even though we use the Saint Helena Waxbill as our host to rear the Pintailed Whydah and keep large numbers they have always been a favorite of mine and even today I still put single pairs in mixed flights. They would be in my top 20 and well worth considering.
Feel free to get in touch with any further questions. You can contact me via the FF Forum my username is 'David Holmes'.
Pictures courtesy of:
