Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus), male
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu, Male

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu

Uraeginthus bengalus

The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu (Uraeginthus bengalus) is a diminutive and charming finch, a resident breeder in the drier regions of tropical Sub-Saharan Africa. The male is adorned with a striking red patch on each cheek, which can occasionally appear orange or yellow, set against a backdrop of brown upperparts and a pale blue breast, flanks, and tail, with a contrasting yellow belly. The female, though similar in form, is a more subdued version and lacks the cheek spot. Juveniles resemble the female but with blue limited to the face and throat.

Identification Tips

When observing these birds, look for the male's distinctive red cheek patches and the pale blue coloring on the breast and tail. Females are less colorful, lacking the cheek spots, and both sexes have a small stature, measuring a mere 12.5–13 cm in length.

Habitat

The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu thrives in a variety of habitats, excluding dense forest interiors. It is commonly found in open dry grasslands, savannas, and areas surrounding human habitation, from sea level to elevations of 2,430 meters.

Distribution

This species boasts a vast range across central and eastern Africa, from Senegal and Gambia in the west, stretching east to Ethiopia and Somalia, and southward to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique. It has also been introduced to Hawaii and Oahu.

Behaviour

These finches are often seen in pairs or small groups, foraging on the ground in open areas. They are known to be granivores, with a diet primarily consisting of grass seeds.

Song & Calls

The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu's contact call is a high-pitched, thin piping, while its song is a more complex series of high-pitched notes, ending in a longer, lower, and more burry note. Both males and females sing, with the female's song being less complex and less frequent, peaking before egg-laying to aid in pair bond maintenance or breeding synchronization.

Breeding

These birds construct large domed nests made of grass with a side entrance, typically situated in a tree, bush, or thatch. They lay 4–5 white eggs per clutch.

Similar Species

The Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu may be confused with other members of the genus Uraeginthus, particularly the Blue-capped Cordon-bleu and the Blue Waxbill, with which it forms a species group and possibly a superspecies.

Diet and Feeding

Their diet is predominantly grass seeds, supplemented by millet and other small seeds. They have also been observed feeding on beeswax on occasion.

Conservation status

The IUCN Red List classifies the Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu as Least Concern, indicating a stable global population.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Red-cheeked Cordon-bleus on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Waxbills, Munias & Allies

A photo of a Plum-headed Finch (Aidemosyne modesta) , male

Plum-headed Finch

Aidemosyne modesta
Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Nicole
Gets me outdoors more
I'm still loving this app. I use it most days & gets me outdoors more. Enjoying watching others progress and photo's, it's improved my wellbeing.... I love this app! I can keep a record of sightings and see what others have seen too.
Leonie
We've been waiting for an App like this
Excellent! We've been waiting for an app like this! Thank you! It would be nice if you could assign additional birds to sessions later!
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Tralisalandhoop
Fantastic app - Love it!
Love this app and have used it almost daily. Lots of species information and easy to use. Love seeing birds spotted by other users in the UK and worldwide.
Jake W
Great app
I use this app all the time as it’s quick and easy to log individual sightings or whole birding sessions. It’s an excellent way to meet new people and the forum is full of really friendly people. The challenges are a great way to get involved and learn more about birds. Cannot recommend it enough!
Madstherangers
A mordern game changer
Birda is an awesome app, its updated the world of birding to the modern day with a fun and easy to use app. It’s engaging and allows positive interaction with fellow bird lovers!
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.