That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Zebra and Society Finches are often recommended to those new to finch keeping, and with good reason.  However, in my opinion, the attractive little African Silverbill or African Warbling Finch, Lonchura cantans, deserves consideration as well.  In addition to being a hardy captive, it is also a prolific breeder that hybridizes readily with several other species – ideal qualities if one wishes to experiment with the creation of new finch color phases.

Description

The African Silverbill may seem “plain” to some, but its varied shades of brown, tan, buff, fawn and black both blend and contrast, lending this 4 inch-long mite a unique beauty.  The sexes are alike, but only males produce the pleasant, warbling song.

Chocolate, fawn, cinnamon, white and other mutations have been produced, often influenced by related species with which the African Silverbill has been crossed. Read More »

Attractively colored in shades of brown, tan and cream, and with distinctive silvery-gray beaks, the Silverbills are hardy, peaceful and breed readily.  They almost always raise their chicks without incident, and many pairs are even tolerant of overly-enthusiastic nest inspections.  Today we’ll take a look at 3 readily available species that make wonderful additions to any collection.

Diet

Silverbills fare well on relatively simple diets – a high quality finch seed mix along with some greens and sprouts    will meet their needs.  Tiny mealworms, crickets and other insects may be offered to nesting pairs, but the addition of extra sprouts is all that most parents need in order to successfully raise their young. Read More »