Indian Silverbill
Indian Silver bill ( Euodice malabarica )
The Indian silver bill ( Euodice malabarica ) is a species of the family of finches ( Estrildidae ). We distinguish between no subspecies.
The species is relatively commonly kept as ornamental birds in Europe.
Description
The Indian silver bill reaches a body length of eleven to twelve inches and weighs an average of twelve grams.
The plumage is mostly brownish. Top of the head, back and upper wing-coverts are pale brown. The rump and upper tail-coverts are white, the outer upper tail-coverts have black Federsäume. The wings and tail are black, the stepped brown. The middle feathers of the tail are pointed lanceolate. The sides of the head are whitish. The body underside is creamy white and is slightly brown on the sides of the body. The eyes are brown, the upper mandible is dark blue-gray while the lower beak is slightly lighter.
The Indian silver bill is to be distinguished above all his white rump feathers of the belonging to the same genus African silver beak. Unlike the African silver beak of the lid margin is not conspicuous lifted from the head feathers.
Jungvbögel are uniformly dark brownish gray, the underparts is only slightly brightened. The wings and tail are dark brown. The beak is still completely black with them.
Area of distribution and habitat
The distribution area of the Indian silver beak is very large. It ranges from Pakistan on the foothills of the Himalayas, and possibly the southeast Afghanistan, to Nepal and Sikkim. To the south direction of propagation of the Indian silver bill comes before to after Kerala and Madras. It also settled the arid areas in the north- east and south-east of Sri Lanka. There are also deposits in the region of Muscat in southeastern Arabia, in the north of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. This may be due to captivity refugees. Since 1983 there are in Israel and since 1989 in Jordan breeding population.
The habitat is steppe and savannah with dense thickets and forest edges and light forest, but also the environment of human settlements. The altitudinal distribution ranges from sea level to altitudes of 1,300 meters. In the Himalayas the way places, also happens to 2,000 meters in altitude.
Way of life
The Indian silver beak eats mainly small seeds. Grass seeds are the main source of food. It picked this up from the ground, but like many other finches able to picking out this also from the stalk from the ears and panicles. In South India, the Indian silver beak next to the Muskatamadine, the black belly nun, the sharp-tailed bronze male and the white-bellied bronze figure is considered pest that causes damage in particular millet and rice fields.
Very often is observed in flocks the way. The socializing needs of Indian silver beak is so pronounced that unite the parents birds during the breeding and Huder breaks with other dogs in groups even during the breeding season. Very often, moreover, their contact sitting and mutual plumage crawl.
The incubation period varies depending on the location. In high-altitude areas of distribution the birds in the summer months of June to September breeding, in other regions in all seasons. However, the peak of reproductive activity usually falls in the period from the beginning of the monsoon. In Sri Lanka Indian silver beaks breed accordingly from October to early April. The spherical nest is usually built very low to the ground. The nest usually consists of six eggs. The incubation period is only eleven to twelve days. The young birds have an almost black skin color immediately after hatching. The nestling period is nineteen to twenty days. After leaving the nest the young for another two weeks will be cared for by the parents birds.
System
Indian Silver bill and African silver beak are sometimes combined together to form. However, the two differ not only in the plumage marking but also have very large differences in song, and exhibit different tail movements. They are therefore regarded as two types, which together form a superspecies.
The Ersthaltung of the Indian silver beak in Europe can no longer be reconstructed. In India, this species was a commonly held ornamental bird in the 19th century; was in Europe and the closely related African Silberfasänchen is held much more frequently compared with this type. Indian silver beaks are considered easy to reserved way, which is also very easy to breed. They can both be held in a cage and in the aviary.