introduce birds in a cage or flight that is new to them both and not the established territory of either, when introducing in a box cage use a wire divider till the birds accept each other.
One tip, if a cock is
showing aggression give him some white feathers and his attention will soon be distracted.
Housing: I have successfully kept five pairs of Black bellies in a 6 ft deep x 4ft wide x 7ft high indoor flight and had one pair breed rearing 5 young. Protein levels are often the key. Lower the Protein level and the birds will become more aggressive as they challenge for the best food, they also like their own space and even bonded pairs tend to sit about 2 inches apart! Do not keep pairs in small box cages. 3ft wide x2ft deep x18in high is I would say a minimum. All my flights are within my bird shed and temperature controlled, Crimsons cope well with high temperatures and humidity and are never far from water in the wild. Like all Estrildidae they don’t cope well with cold and damp.
Sexing: The plumage of the adults differs between the sexes. The adult males Black bellies, have a
bright red face, bill, throat and breast, and have bright red flanks that have a series of white spots running along them.
10 BIRD SCENE
They have greyish-brown coloring on the crown and back of the head, the rear and sides of the neck, the back and shoulders, and the upper surfaces of the wings. The brownish-grey colouring on the back and shoulders, and on the upper surfaces of the wings, is suffused with red. They have black grey colouring on the under surfaces of the wings, a black to black/ grey belly, and black to grey thighs and undertail coverts; the tail itself is mainly red above, with darker centers to the feathers, and brown below, with red trim. Their irises vary in colour from red brown to brownish, and they have yellow/brown flesh legs and feet. The adult Hens have a bright red face with red beak, but differ from the adult males in having a brownish-grey breast, brown flanks (that retain the white spotting of the male), and brown thighs and upper tail coverts. They have paler, greyish-brown coloring on the crown and back of the head, the rear and sides of the neck, the back and shoulders, and the upper surfaces of the wings, and the red suffusion on the back and shoulders, and on the upper surfaces of the wings, is paler and weaker than in the adult males. The appearance is otherwise similar to that of adult males Adult Male White bellies differ from the Blacks in sizes being smaller and that the black grey of the under parts is replaced with white colouring on the under surfaces of the wings, a white to cream
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