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To the Beauty of Birds

The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) is a estrildid finch and a resident breeding bird in drier regions of tropical sub-Saharan Africa.

When he first described the red-cheeked cordon-bleu in his 1766 edition of Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus assigned it to the genus Fringilla. It was later moved to the genus Uraeginthus, along with the rest of the cordon-bleus and grenadiers.[3] The red-cheeked cordon-bleu, the blue-capped cordon-bleu, and the blue waxbill—form a species group within the genus.

The adult male has uniformly brown upperparts, pale blue breast, flanks and tail and a yellow belly. There is a red patch on each cheek, but this can rarely appear orange or even yellow. Females are similar but duller, and lack the cheek spot. Immature birds are like the female, but with blue restricted to the face and throat.

The red-cheeked cordon-bleu is a granivore, feeding principally on grass seeds, but also on millet and other small seeds. It is also known to feed sporadically on beeswax. Larger granivores, such as the pin-tailed whydah will chase cordon-bleus from food sources, limiting the feeding opportunities of the smaller birds and affecting their foraging success.

The red-cheeked cordon-bleu is reported to be "among the most popular exotic finches". While it has no special housing requirements, its habit of roosting on open branches (rather than in a nest or other protected area) makes it sensitive to low temperatures. During the breeding season, captive males become very aggressive towards each other, and birds disturbed during incubation will typically leave the nest.

Red-cheeked Cordon-blue

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Cordon-bleu Red-cheeked Male 0633

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Cordon-bleu Red-cheeked female 0340