Red-cheeked cordon-bleus are found in Kenya’s southern bush lands, woods, and suburban gardens below 2,300 m. They are rarely seen in the northern half of the country.They are small finches that inhabit dry regions of sub-Saharan Africa. They prefer grasslands, savannas, bush, or wooded areas.The nest is a large domed grass structure with a side entrance in a tree, bush or thatch into which 4-5 white eggs are laid.

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 hyacinth macaw is the largest macaw species.

These macaws frequently travel together in small flocks of 1–8 pairs, and loudly call to one another.

Macaw pairs remained bonded.

In the wild, macaws often flock to mountains of clay known as "macaw licks."

When disturbed, these bright birds screech loudly and circle overhead with their long tails streaming.

Macaws are playful and inquisitive and are able to mimic human vocalizations very well.

Macaws are able to reach flight speeds of up to 56 kph (35 mph).

Macaws eat palm nuts only after the nuts have passed through the digestive system of a cow.

The saffron finch (Sicalis flaveola) is a tanager from South America that is common in open and semi-open areas in lowlands outside the Amazon Basin. They have a wide distribution in Colombia, northern Venezuela (where it is called "canario de tejado" or "roof canary"), western Ecuador, western Peru, eastern and southern Brazil (where it is called "canário-da-terra" or "native canary"), Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, northern Argentina, and Trinidad and Tobago. It has also been introduced to Hawaii, Panama, Puerto Rico and elsewhere. Although commonly regarded as a canary, it is not related to the Atlantic canary. Formerly, it was placed in the Emberizidae but it is close to the seedeaters.