African Silverbills
Finch Information ... Finch Species ... Finch Photo Gallery ... Finch Cages / Flights ... Finch Diseases ... Finch / Canary Food ... Finch Books
Wild Bird Feeders ... Wild Bird Food / Seed ... Binoculars ... Humming Bird Feeders / Feed ... Bird Houses / Bird Nests ... Woodworking Instructions to Build Bird Houses ... Recommended Books
The African Silverbill (Lonchura cantans) is a small passerine bird formerly considered conspecific with the Asian species Indian Silverbill, Lonchura malabarica. This estrildid finch is a common resident breeding bird in drier areas of Africa just south of the Sahara Desert.
The African Silverbill is a gregarious bird which feeds mainly on seeds. It frequents dry acacia and thorn scrub. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a tree or under eaves, into which 5-10 white eggs are laid.
The African Silverbill is 10cm in length with a long black tail. The adult has a stubby silver-grey bill, finely vermiculated buff-brown upperparts, whitish underparts and dark wings. The sexes are similar, but immatures lack the vermiculations. This species has a chink call and a trilling song.
References
- BirdLife International (2004). Lonchura cantans. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 12 May 2006. Database entry includes justification for why this species is of least concern
- Birds of The Gambia by Barlow, Wacher and Disley, ISBN 1-873403-32-1
Copyright: Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from Wikipedia.org
Care and Feeding:
For further information, please refer to the finch websites listed under the heading or, for more general information, the below web resources are helpful:- Sources for Purchasing or Adopting your Companion or Aviary Bird
- Optimal nutrition to keep your bird healthy
- Housing your bird / Fun & Safe Toys
- Caring for your companion bird
If you would like to add to or correct any of the above information, or would like to share with web visitors your own experiences, please e-mail the webmaster.
Photo contributions are welcome!
