Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu Care Guide

Written by the Birdsville team. Last updated October 2026.

Red-cheeked cordon bleu care comes down to warmth, a quality finch seed mix, and plenty of live food, especially when breeding. These tiny powder blue waxbills from Africa are one of the most charming finches you can keep, and males wear a bright red patch on each cheek. They’re peaceful, active little birds that do best in pairs. This guide covers diet, housing, breeding and health, with a full shopping list of the supplies we recommend, delivered Australia-wide by Petsville.

Male red-cheeked cordon bleu waxbill with blue feathers and red cheek patch — A male red-cheeked cordon bleu. Only males have the red cheek patch.

Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu Quick Facts

Scientific name: Uraeginthus bengalus
Also known as: Red-cheeked Cordon Bleu Waxbill, Cordon Bleu Finch
Native range: central and east Africa, from West Africa across to Ethiopia and Somalia, and south to Tanzania and Zambia
Adult length: around 12 to 13 cm
Lifespan: commonly around 5 to 7 years
Diet: finch seed mix, live food, greens, egg and biscuit
Warmth: sensitive to cold, keep out of draughts
Housing: pairs, in a long cage or planted aviary
Clutch: around 4 to 5 white eggs, incubated for about 12 days
Sexing: males have red cheek patches, females don’t
Temperament: peaceful
Experience level: beginner to intermediate

Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu Shopping List

Everything in this guide is available from Petsville, which delivers Australia-wide, or in-store at Birdsville in Sydney.

Maw seed and live food are available in-store at Birdsville.

Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleus in the Wild

Red-cheeked cordon bleus are native to Africa, where they’re found across a wide band of the continent, including Zambia, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Somalia. They live in dry grassland and open woodland, usually close to water.

Here’s an observation from our team. While travelling through Tanzania, one of our team watched many flocks of around 8 birds at a time. They were always close to water and never far from acacia trees about 3 metres tall. Giving your birds water to bathe in and some cover to shelter in helps recreate that natural home.

Housing and Warmth

Red-cheeked cordon bleus need a long cage or aviary with room to fly, plus some dense cover, such as shrubs or brush, where they can hide and feel secure. A planted aviary is ideal. Provide perches of different thicknesses, a shallow bath, and separate dishes for seed, grit, live food and water. Always keep them in pairs or more, never alone.

Cordon bleus come from warm parts of Africa, so they’re more sensitive to cold than many finches. Keep them out of draughts and damp. Many keepers aim to keep them above about 15°C at night.

Seasonal tip: In winter, bring cages indoors or fully shelter outdoor aviaries, cover the windward side, and add gentle heating in cold areas. In summer, make sure they have shade all day and a bath, and add Vetafarm Spark Liquid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-spark-liquid-50ml) to the water on very hot days.

Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu Diet

Red-cheeked cordon bleus need a quality finch seed mix, plenty of live food, fresh greens, egg and biscuit, grit and fresh water every day.

Seed

Feed a good quality finch mix. Our top pick is Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary (https://petsville.com.au/products/birdsville-blends-finch-canary-500g), our biggest selling finch blend. It’s bagged fresh on site with a high turnover, so the seed never sits on a shelf, and buying from the people who mix it means better value. Be wary of many supermarket and chain store mixes, which use low quality grains and filler seed that affect the health and vitality of your birds. If you’re unsure about the seed you’re feeding, ask a bird specialist.

Cordon bleus also enjoy canola (rape) seed (https://petsville.com.au/products/avigrain-seed-rape-canola-1kg) and maw seed, which is available in-store.

Sprouted Seed

Cordon bleus love sprouted seed. Rinse it thoroughly with Vetafarm Aviclens (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-aviclens-water-cleanser-100ml) before feeding to remove bacteria.

Millet Sprays

Fresh millet still on the stem. French white millet is their favourite, though panicum is also taken. Buy millet sprays on Petsville (https://petsville.com.au/products/millet-sprays-mixed-100g).

Greens

Seeding grasses, chickweed, dandelion, endive, Lebanese cucumber, silverbeet, and the flowering heads of milk thistle.

Live Food

Live food is very important for cordon bleus, especially when breeding. Feed mealworms and fly pupae mixed with a few pinches of insectivore mix, such as Insectivore Rearing Mix (https://petsville.com.au/products/wombaroo-insectivore-rearing-mix-250g) or Vetafarm Insecta-Pro (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-insecta-pro-450g). Live food is available in-store at Birdsville.

Egg and Biscuit

An important protein supplement, especially for breeding birds. Add it to the live food mix above. Try Shep’s Egg & Biscuit (https://petsville.com.au/products/sheps-egg-biscuit-500g).

Vitamins

Add a vitamin supplement to the water, so you know your birds actually get the vitamins. Vitamins coated on seed are lost when finches remove the husk. Vetafarm Multivet (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-multivet-50ml) is a good choice.

Grit and Water

Feed a good quality fine grit mix with charcoal, shell, crushed cuttlebone, baked egg shell and limestone, such as shell grit (https://petsville.com.au/products/shell-grit-5kg), in its own dish. Always provide clean, fresh drinking water.

Breeding Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleus

Red-cheeked cordon bleus nest in half open finch nest boxes, wicker cane nests and dense shrubs. Supply nesting material (https://petsville.com.au/collections/bird-subsrate) such as swamp grass, plus soft white feathers to line the nest. Both the male and female build the nest.

The hen lays around 4 to 5 white eggs, which hatch after about 12 days. The chicks fledge and start to venture out at around 3 weeks old. The parents keep feeding them for about another 3 weeks while they learn to crack seed for themselves. Don’t remove the young while they still depend on their parents for food.

Plenty of live food is essential throughout breeding. Vetafarm Breeding Aid (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-breeding-aid-100ml) on the seed also helps support fertility and chick growth.

Sexing Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleus

Red-cheeked cordon bleus are easy to sex. The male has a bright red patch on each cheek, and the female doesn’t. Females are also a slightly paler blue. Young birds look like females until they colour up as they mature.

Health and Parasite Control

Watch for fluffed up feathers, sitting still and inactive, a dirty vent, or a thin chest where the keel bone sticks out. A sick finch can go downhill within hours. Move it to a small, warm cage straight away, add Spark Liquid to its water, and see an avian vet. For more on finch health, see our Finch Care page [Finch Care page link].

Worm your cordon bleus every 3 months if they live outdoors, or every 6 months indoors, using Vetafarm Wormout Gel (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-wormout-gel-50ml). Spray birds, nests and the aviary with Avitrol Mite & Lice Spray (https://petsville.com.au/products/fidos-avitrol-bird-mite-and-lice-spray-125ml) every 3 months, avoiding the eyes. Keep new birds separate for 4 to 6 weeks before introducing them, and give them Spark Liquid in their water for the first few days after a move.

Cleaning

Daily: fresh water and seed in clean dishes, blow husks off the seed, and remove old live food and greens.
Weekly: clean the cage or aviary thoroughly.
Monthly: disinfect with Vetafarm Avicare (https://petsville.com.au/products/vetafarm-avicare-rtu-500ml), clean or replace branches, and clean out nests after the young have left.

Compatibility with Other Birds

Red-cheeked cordon bleus are peaceful with other small finches, such as waxbills, mannikins and zebra finches, and they suit an African themed aviary. Males can squabble with other blue cordon bleus, and red-cheeked and blue-capped cordon bleus can crossbreed, so keep just one pair of cordon bleus per aviary. For more ideas, see our Mixing Finches page [Mixing Finches page link].

Red-Cheeked Cordon Bleu Frequently Asked Questions

What do red-cheeked cordon bleus eat?

A quality finch seed mix such as Birdsville Blends Finch & Canary, plus millet sprays, sprouted seed, greens and plenty of live food, especially when breeding. Mealworms, fly pupae and insectivore mix give them the protein they need. Always provide fine grit and fresh water.

How do you tell a male cordon bleu from a female?

It’s easy. Adult male red-cheeked cordon bleus have a bright red patch on each cheek, which females don’t have, and females are a slightly paler blue. Young birds of both sexes look like the female until they colour up, so wait until they mature to be sure.

Do red-cheeked cordon bleus need heat?

They’re more sensitive to cold than most finches, because they come from warm parts of Africa. Keep them out of draughts, bring cages indoors or shelter aviaries in winter, and add gentle heating in cold areas. Many keepers aim to keep them above about 15°C at night.

Can cordon bleus live with other finches?

Yes, they’re generally peaceful with other small finches like waxbills, mannikins and zebra finches. Males can squabble with other blue cordon bleus, and red-cheeked and blue-capped cordon bleus can crossbreed, so it’s best to keep only one pair of cordon bleus per aviary.

How long do red-cheeked cordon bleus live?

Red-cheeked cordon bleus commonly live around 5 to 7 years in captivity, and some live longer with good care. Warmth, plenty of live food, a quality seed mix, a clean aviary and regular worming all help them live a long, healthy life.

Are red-cheeked cordon bleus easy to breed?

They can be, with the right setup. Give a pair a half open nest box, cane nest or dense shrub, swamp grass and soft white feathers, plus plenty of live food. The hen lays around 4 to 5 eggs, which hatch after about 12 days, and both parents raise the chicks.

Visit Birdsville for Finch Supplies

Every product in this guide is available online from Petsville, delivered Australia-wide, or in-store at Birdsville, 684 Botany Road, Alexandria NSW 2015, servicing the Eastern Suburbs and Inner South Sydney. Live food and maw seed are available in-store. Visit us or call (02) 9669 1766, and our team will help you set up the right home and diet for your cordon bleus. Follow us on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/BirdsvilleRosebery/), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/petsvillesydney/) and TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@birdsvillepets) for live updates.

About Birdsville

Birdsville has been trading in Sydney since 1985, and we believe we’re now the oldest bricks and mortar bird shop still open in Australia. Owner Ash brings experience from vet clinics and from zoo keeping at the Rainforest Habitat in Port Douglas, now Wildlife Habitat. We’re a small business that does things in a big way. Nobody tells us how to run things, so we keep our products the best of the best.