# Indian Silverbill

Scientific name: Euodice malabarica

Bird group: [finch](https://birdsofpuertorico.com/family/finch)

Canonical source: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/bird/254/Indian-Silverbill

## Identification

The Indian silverbill or white-throated munia (Euodice malabarica) is a small passerine bird found in the Indian Subcontinent and adjoining regions that was formerly considered to include the closely related African silverbill (Euodice cantans). This estrildid finch is a common resident breeding bird in the drier regions of the Middle East and the Indian Subcontinent. It has also been introduced into many other parts of the world and has become established in some areas. They forage in small flocks in grassland and scrub habitats.


## Distribution and habitat

The Indian Silverbill is native to India, Sri Lanka, the Arabian 
Peninsula, Pakistan, and Nepal 
(Restall 1997). It is a popular 
cage bird that has been 
introduced into many countries 
and is established as a breeding 
nonnative species in Jamaica, the 
Virgin Islands (St. Croix), and 
Puerto Rico (Camacho Rodríguez 
and others 1999, Raffaele and 
others 1998). The species was 
first recorded in Puerto Rico 
in 1971 (Raffaele and Kepler 
1992) and has been described 
as locally common in the coastal 
regions, particularly along the 
southwestern coast, as well as 
in the metropolitan area of San Juan, occurring locally west to 
Dorado (Raffaele and others 
1998). The species usually occurs 
in scrub and bushy areas around 
human habitation, and in Puerto 
Rico it occurs in arid pastures 
and gardens where grass is in 
seed (Raffaele 1983). The atlas 
fieldwork yielded a total of 42 
records within 32 hexagons or 7 
percent of the 479 total hexagons 
(see map). Of the 32 hexagons 
where this species was found, 
breeding was confirmed in 31 
percent (10) of the hexagons, 
probable in 41 percent (13), and 
possible in 25 percent (8), while 
the species was observed in 3 
percent (1) of the hexagons but 
without evidence of breeding 
(see map).Indian Silverbill distribution. The map shows the highest breeding code by hexagon and overlaying the ecological life zones in 
Puerto Rico. Note: percentages may not total 100 due to rounding.       245Indian Silverbill/Gorrión Picoplata

## Breeding

The Indian Silverbill builds a domed grass nest with a side 
entrance, usually in trees or 
on window ledges (Raffaele 
and others 1998). Previously 
published reports indicate that 
it breeds primarily from June 
to November but also in other 
months (Raffaele and others 
1998). Atlas results indicate that 
this species breeding season 
extends throughout the year 
with the most breeding activity 
during June, although no data 
were available for February (see 
chart). Though breeding mostly 
occurs in the subtropical dry forest life zone, results show that 
some breeding activity occurs 
in the subtropical moist forest 
life zone during March and June 
(see chart). Results show that 
this species breeds mostly along 
the southern coast within the 
subtropical dry forest life zone 
(81 percent of the hexagons) 
(see map and table). It also 
breeds within the subtropical 
moist forest life zone in the 
coastal plain (19 percent of the 
hexagons) (see table and map).

## Conservation

The global population size for the Indian Silverbill has not been assessed, but it is described as 
common or locally common 
(Clement 1999). This species 
is currently listed as a species 
of least concern by the IUCN 
(BirdLife International 2016). 
Locally, this species is not 
listed in any of the threatened 
categories of PRDNER and 
USFWS. In Puerto Rico, the 
Indian Silverbill has a protected 
habitat in land of about 9 percent 
or 65 km2 of the total area covered by the hexagons where 
evidence of breeding was found 
for this species (743 km2).

Photo: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_254_Im0.png.webp

Distribution map: https://birdsofpuertorico.com/static/images/webp/in_254_Im1.png.webp

Source note: Text is reproduced from this site's published record. Historical conservation statements and taxonomy have not been independently revalidated. See https://birdsofpuertorico.com/about for source credits and limitations.