The Java Sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora) is also called the Java Finch or the Java Rice Bird. It is a small passerine songbird. It is an estrildid.

The Java Sparrow has grey upperparts, grey chest, pink belly, and a black head with white cheeks. It has red eye-rings, pink feet, and a thick red beak.

 

It measures 15-17 centimetres (6-7 inches) tall.

The Java Sparrow is native to Indonesia, in locations such as Java, Bali, and Bawean. It prefers open grasslands and cultivated farms. It also likes rice paddies (rice fields).

It eats grain and seeds.

The Java Sparrow builds a nest in a tree or building. Females lay about 8 eggs.

 

 

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM