Indian silverbill

The Indian silverbill or white-throated munia is a small passerine bird found in the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining regions that was formerly considered to include the closely related African silverbill. This estrildid finch is a common resident breeding bird in the drier regions of the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. It has also been introduced into many other parts of the world and has become established in some areas. They forage in small flocks in grassland and scrub habitats.

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Distribution

Region

Indian Subcontinent and Arabian Peninsula

Typical Environment

Native across much of the Indian Subcontinent and parts of the Middle East, especially in dry, open country. It favors scrublands, thorny bushes, fallow fields, grasslands, and agricultural edges, and it readily uses parks and village environs. The species has been introduced to several regions outside its native range and can establish where seeding grasses are abundant. It generally avoids dense forests and very wet habitats but is common in lightly urbanized areas.

Altitude Range

Sea level to 1500 m

Climate Zone

Subtropical

Characteristics

Size11–12 cm

Wing Span16–18 cm

Male Weight0.011 kg

Female Weight0.011 kg

Life Expectancy6 years

Ease of Keeping

Beginner friendly: 4/5

Useful to know

Also called the white-throated munia, the Indian silverbill is a small estrildid finch that thrives in dry, open habitats and human-altered landscapes. It often forms tight, chattering flocks and builds globular grass nests, sometimes nesting semi-colonially. The species was once lumped with the African silverbill but is now treated separately. It adapts readily to introduced areas and is frequently seen around fields and scrub on the edges of towns.

Gallery

Indian Silverbill at Home

Silverbill Sitting in plant

Siverbill watching at me

Behaviour

Temperament

social and active

Flight Pattern

short rapid wingbeats

Social Behavior

Usually in small to medium flocks that move together while feeding and roosting. Pairs build neat, globular grass nests, often in thorny bushes or trees, and may nest in loose colonies. They show cooperative vigilance while foraging and are tolerant of proximity to humans.

Migratory Pattern

Resident

Song Description

Soft, tinkling twitter interspersed with thin sibilant notes. Calls are high-pitched chips and trills used to keep contact within flocks.

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Identification

Comb Type

Plumage Description

Feather Color

Leg Color

Earlobe Color

Eye Color

Feeding Habits

Diet

Preferred Environment

Requires Supplement

Population

Conservation Status

Species Status

Wild Population

Total Known Population

Indian skimmer

The Indian skimmer or Indian scissors-bill is one of the three species that belong to the skimmer genus Rynchops in the family Laridae. They are somewhat tern-like but like other skimmers, have a short upper mandible and the longer lower mandible that is ploughed along the surface of water as the bird flies over the water to pick aquatic prey. It is found in southern Asia, where it is patchily distributed and declining in numbers. They are mainly found in rivers or estuaries. They are very brightly marked in black, white and orange, making them difficult to miss.

Indian spot-billed duck

The Indian spot-billed duck is a species of large dabbling duck that is a non-migratory breeding duck throughout freshwater wetlands in the Indian subcontinent. The name is derived from the red spot at the base of the bill that is found in the mainland Indian population. When in water it can be recognized from a long distance by the white tertials that form a stripe on the side, and in flight it is distinguished by the green speculum with a broad white band at the base. This species and the eastern spot-billed duck were formerly considered conspecific, together called the spot-billed duck.

Indian spotted creeper

The Indian spotted creeper is a small passerine bird that is a member of the family Salpornithidae, which was previously treated as a subfamily of Certhiidae. This small bird has a marbled black and white plumage that makes it difficult to spot as it forages on the trunks of dark, deeply fissured trees where it picks out insect prey using its curved bill. It is found in patchily distributed localities mainly in the dry scrub and open deciduous forests of northern and central peninsular India. It does not migrate. Their inclusion along with the treecreepers is not certain and some studies find them more closely related to the nuthatches while others suggest a close relation to the wallcreeper. They lack the stiff tail feathers of treecreepers and do not use their tail for supporting them while creeping vertically along tree trunks.

Indian spotted eagle

The Indian spotted eagle is a large bird of prey native to South Asia. Like all typical eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. The typical eagles are often united with the buteos, sea eagles and other more heavy-set Accipitridae, but more recently it appears as if they are less distinct from the more slender accipitrine hawks.

Indian stone-curlew

The Indian stone-curlew or Indian thick-knee is a species of bird in the family Burhinidae. It was formerly included as a subspecies of the Eurasian stone-curlew. This species is found in the plains of South and South-eastern Asia. They have large eyes and are brown with streaks and pale marks making it hard to spot against the background of soils and rocks. Mostly active in the dark, they produce calls similar to the true curlews, giving them their names.