From Opus

Photo by Romy Ocon
Location: Infanta, Pangasinan Province, Philippines

Lonchura oryzivora

Padda oryzivora

[edit] Identification

17 cm in length. Grey upperparts and breast, pink belly, white-cheeked black head, red eye-ring, pink feet and thick red bill.

Both sexes are similar, but immature birds have brown upperparts and paler brown underparts and cheeks. The rest of their head is dark grey rather than black, and the bill is grey with a pink base.

Photo by NJLarsen
This photo from Puerto Rico shows both adult and immature birds.

[edit] Distribution

Java, Bali and Bawean in Indonesia. In addition, it is found in the cage bird trade, and populations originating in escaped individuals are found elsewhere, for example in Puerto Rico.

[edit] Taxonomy

The Java Sparrow is a monotypic species which belongs to the Estrildidae. Its closest relative seems to be the Timor Sparrow. Some authorities¹ place this bird in genus Padda.

[edit] Habitat

Open grassland and cultivation.

[edit] Behaviour

Diet includes grain and other seeds.

The nest is constructed in a tree or building, and up to 8 eggs are laid.

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2007. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to October 2007. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019

• List of references

[edit] External Links

The species account from Birdlife International with detailed information about status in the original distribution area