Java Sparrow

As the name suggests, these species belong to the island of Indonesia; they are mainly found in the island regions of various countries like Hawaii, Sri Lanka, and Jamaica. These birds generally live in groups. These birds often eat the rice cultivated in the field, and if they are in large groups, they can clear the entire rice field. Their common names are Java finch, Java sparrow, paddy bird. Their scientific name is Lonchura oryzivora. Their size varies from 5 to 6 inches, and they weigh around 20g. Their life expectancy is about 5 to 10 years. Some countries have put a ban on keeping Java sparrows as a pet as they are on the list of vulnerable species.

Different Color Mutations of Java sparrow

1. Grey Java Sparrow

It has grey feathers present all over its body except on the cheeks and under the tail feathers, where the colour is white. It is also called a wild Java sparrow.

2. Brown Java Sparrow

Eumelanin is not present in this bird which makes it lightish brown in colour. There are two variants of these birds available, which are red-brown and beige brown.

3. White Java Sparrow

They have white feathers all over their body while the eyes, beak, and legs are similar in color to other java sparrows. These sparrows don't have a single spot on their body which makes them look attractive.

4. Pied Java Sparrow

As the name suggests, it has more than one colour, this bird looks similar to the white one, but it has some greyish patches or spots present around its neck, which makes them multicolor. They have these patches in a disorganized manner.

5. Silver Java Sparrow

This mutation lacks phaeomelanin, due to which the bird has a pale grey appearance. It has white colour under its feathers and cheeks.

6. Cream Java Sparrow

It has a variety of colours present on its body, like on its head and abdomen it has a pale brown colour, chest colour is white, and the wings and back is pale cream.

7. Black-headed Java Sparrow

The colour of the body is darker than compared to other mutations. Its colour is rare, and as the name implies, it has black colour on its head.

Java sparrow as Pets

These birds make good pets for people who don't have enough time to spend with their pets. They don't require anyone to play as long as they have another bird around them. So if you are planning to keep a Java sparrow as your pet, then consider keeping two. Java sparrows are songbirds that mean they will never let you get bored with them.

If you want to adopt a finch, you need to keep the following things in mind:

Proper diet and nutrition

To keep the finch healthy, you need to give them proper food which contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Mostly you need to feed them seeds and fruits. You must analyze the meal of your bird and know which type of food it likes the most.

Exercise

The most important part of keeping a pet is to provide a space for your pet where it can feel free and can do its recreational activities without any hurdle. You must provide a cage that has enough space so that the bird can fly, climb, play, exercise; prefer keeping the cage at a height and put some branches in the cage so that the birds can connect to their habitat.

Permit

As these birds are banned in many countries, before adopting one, you should confirm with the local authorities in your area if the bird is allowed to keep as a pet. In many places, you have to have a permit from the government for keeping the bird at your place.

Factors that can help us distinguish between a Finch and other birds:

1. They have an orange coloured ring present around their eyes.
2. They are bright birds and can be easily recognized by the patches present on their body.
3. Finches are a songbird, and they make sounds like beatboxing.
4. Analyzing the size of the bird can help you identify a finch easily.
5. See the shape of the beak as the finch beak is triangular in shape.