Abstract
Of all the finches maintained in aviculture, none is more active, more attractive, and more exasperating than the cordon bleu. Though several species may be referred to as cordon bleus, the bird I refer to is Uraeginthus bengalus, also called the red-cheeked cordon bleu. It has a wide native distribution throughout central Africa. Linnaeus originally classified the cordon bleu in 1776 asFringilla bengalus.
Sexing the cordon bleus is quite simple in adult birds. The male will have the bright red cheek-patch that is so characteristic of this species. The hen lacks the cheek-patch, and the blue coloring on the hen is neither as extensive nor as brilliant as it is on the male.
Two other species may carry the name cordon bleu. First, a closely related species is called the blue waxbill or Angolan cordon bleu, Uraeginthus angolensis. The male of this species has no red cheek-patch, and the beak is more gray in color. The other species, the blue-capped cordon bleu, Uraegintbus cyanocepbala, will not be confused with the cordon bleu discussed here, since its blue cap and lack of the red cheek-patches are quite distinctive characteristics. The females require closer examination, as they are similar in coloration.
Cordon bleus will do well in either a cage or aviary, but they're much more likely to attempt to breed under spacious aviary conditions. If cage maintenance is necessary, a large flight cage will be best. This will give the birds room for exercise and mating displays. A planted aviary will be best for housing them, of course, since it will attract a variety of insects that the finches relish.
Nearly all of the cordon bleus available now are imported birds. Though they usually settle down in a large cage or aviary fairly rapidly, it may take them some time to begin nesting. Don't expect any nesting activity until September or October. Since these birds come from areas south of the equator, they will begin breeding during our autumn here in the northern hemisphere. If all conditions are right, they will attempt to breed in either a cage or an aviary.
Whether the cordon bleus are kept in a cage or aviary, be sure to offer them a variety of natural branches for perching. Oak branches are excellent, and small trees such as the dogwood and hawthorn provide perches of the best type. If you 're in the eastern mountains, mountain laurel is ideal. In the western states, oak, manzanita, and other shrubs will provide good perches. The important thing is to offer branches of varying sizes. This is important, for it gives the birds' feet and legs the exercise that only bouncy, natural branches can offer.
Once the cordon bleus have settled down and reached their breeding season, the male will begin his amusing display to the hen. He takes the longest piece of grass he can find, flies up to the hen with it and proceeds to do a bouncy, little dance complete with singing and fluffed out feathers. This display eventually will impress the hen sufficiently that mating occurs.
Nest building may begin before you see this display, but it's usually a prelude to the nesting activity. The cordon bleus will accept a variety of covered nesting receptacles. However, they prefer to build their own nest in a thick bush or a clump of drooping grass. These birds build a covered nest, and they prefer long grasses as building materials. They may also accept a commercial finch nestbox, a covered wicker nest, or the abandoned nest of another bird. In my experience, they will accept a thick clump of grass as a nesting site in preference to any other location. They hide their nest so skillfully that you may not know they're nesting until you flush the hen from the grass one day. An ornamental grass found in nurseries called fountain grass, Pennisetum ruppelii, is ideal for them.
This nesting preference is a main reason why an aviary is preferable for cordon bleus. Also, keep in mind that they don't need a jungle. These finches are birds of the scrub and grasslands of Africa, so they'll do best with lots of grass, a few thick bushes such as boxwood or dwarf holly, and perhaps one larger, open tree for perching. This affords them plenty of hiding places and nesting sites. If they're going to attempt to breed, the cordon bleus will do so most readily in such a planted aviary.
Once the nest is completed, the hen will lay a clutch averaging four or five tiny, white eggs. Both sexes share incubation during the day with the hen sitting at night. The incubation period is quite short, only about eleven days.
During the incubation period, the birds will leave the nest at the slightest approach or provocation. The exception always proves the rule, of course, and I had one pair that nested in a covered wicker nest in a flight cage. This pair would not leave the nest until my hand was actually in the cage.
When the young hatch, they are a mass of long, dark fuzz with a tiny mouth and beak. Though I've never attempted to hand-feed them, their tiny size coupled with such a small beak would make hand-feeding, at best, a monumental, exasperating chore.
At this point in the breeding cycle, the biggest danger is that there will be a short-circuit in the breeding urge, and the cordon bleus will refuse to feed the babies and will throw them out of the nest. This is all too coomon in imported finches, unfortunately. The cause is obscure, but is likely to be related to the natural insect foods available in the cordon bleu's native haunts. Imported birds were raised in the wild, of course, and many had already bred under their native conditions. When the foods they are accustomed to, particularly the termites that abound in Africa, are not available, instinct signals a famine, and the birds instinctively end the breeding cycle at this point.