African Silverbill

Common Names:
Warbling finch

Description

The African Silverbill may seem “plain” to some, but its varied shades of brown, tan, buff, fawn and black both blend and contrast, lending this 4 inch-long mite a unique beauty.

The head and back are a yellowish brown, while the rump and upper tail coverts are black, the rest of the tail is blackish brown as are the wings, the breast, sides, and belly are a pale yellow brown; the beak and eyelids are silver.

Sexing:

Sexes look similar, but only cock birds will sing.

Origin:

Africa and the Middle East

Lifespan:  approx. 7 years

Diet
Silverbills will prefer the larger seeds of a parakeet mix to the smaller seeds commonly found in most finch mixes. They like the large white prosso almost exclusively and will leave the canary and oats groats behind in the mix.

Breeding season:

In the wild, African Silverbills start breeding during the second half of the rainy season, though they may also breed during the dry season.

Egg Colour:White. 

Clutch/sper year:2 - 3.

 Eggsper nest: 2 - 4. 

Incubationapprox:11 - 12 days. 

Fledgeapprox:21 days. 

 Independentapprox: another 3 - 4 weeks.

Housing

African Silverbills adapt well to standard finch cages, but should always be provided with as much room as possible.  Outdoor aviaries are a great option, especially given that they mix well with other small, peaceful finches and softbills.