Herberstein Wildlife Park / Little Silver-billed Bird

African Silverbill / Silverbill

Eudice Singing

While other finches stand out because of their colorful plumage, that of the silver-billed finches is rather plain. Like many finches, they are very social; even during the breeding season, their nests are often not far apart. They can very often be observed “perching together” or preening each other’s feathers.

Order	Passerines
Family	Ornate Finches
Distribution	South of the Sahara, occurring in a broad band stretching from west to east; extending further south in East Africa; also found in the southeastern part of the Arabian Peninsula; naturalized in Puerto Rico and Hawaii
Habitat	Dry and thornbush savanna, acacia forests; species associated with human activity
Food	Grass seeds
Activity	Silver-billed finches are diurnal
Weight	up to 12 grams
Size	up to 11 cm
Service life	up to 8 years old
Reproduction	The breeding season begins in the second half of the rainy season and can extend well into the dry season. The female lays 4–6 eggs in the spherical nest; the chicks hatch after about 12 days, leave the nest at about 3 weeks of age, but continue to be cared for by their parents for another two weeks.
Risk	not at risk
Enemies	Birds of Prey, Snakes

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Silver-billed Finch

African Silverbill / Silverbill

Eudice Singing