Waxbills and Finches
Wild finches of almost every species consume beetles, spiders, caterpillars, and other invertebrates throughout the year, and in large quantities both before and during the breeding season.
While those we keep as pets may thrive on seed-based diets, providing them with a variety of insects will improve their health and encourage breeding. Waxbills favor tiny, protein-rich insects like aphids and a wide variety of insects, especially during the breeding season.

Some can catch insects in flight. Mealworms, crickets, waxworms, and BSF larvae are particularly devoured by these birds. Adding live foods to their diets helps keep them in their prime health.
Insects are readily taken by most captive waxbills (finches, canaries, and other “non-parrot” species), and are often essential in bringing birds into breeding conditions and for the rearing of chicks. Those of us who keep birds such as smaller finches, Peking robins, shama thrushes, and leafbirds are often hard put to find suitably-sized insects.