Lonchura cantans
| African silverbill | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Euodice |
| Species: | E. cantans |
| Binomial name | |
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Euodice cantans (Gmelin, 1789) |
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| Subspecies | |
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| The Distribution of the African silverbill | |
| Synonyms | |
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Lonchura cantans |
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Lonchura cantans
The African silverbill (Euodice cantans) is a small passerine bird formerly considered conspecific with the Asian species Indian silverbill, (Euodice malabarica). This estrildid finch is a common resident breeding bird in dry savanna habitat, south of the Sahara Desert. This species has also been introduced to other countries such as Portugal, Qatar and United States.
In early literature, African silverbill (Euodice cantans) and Indian silverbill (E. malabarica) were treated as conspecific. In 1943, Jean Théodore Delacour firmly united both species in his revision of the Estrildinae. However, in 1964, James M. Harrison first studied the two in a strictly comparative manner and concluded that they were two separate species. He discovered that although the call notes were similar, the songs are distinctly different in form, but sharing a common pattern. They are sympatric in the south of the Arabian Peninsula and there is no record of natural hybridization. From Harrison's personal observation of birds in captivity, each of the two forms evinced a preference for its own kind. In 1985, Kakizawa and Watada confirmed Harrison's conclusion. They confirmed the genetic difference of the two species by the means of protein electrophoresis. In 1990, Sibley and Monroe accept the two as distinct species. Molecular sequence divergence studies indicate that this species along with the Indian siverbill are basal, having diverged from the common ancestors of other Lonchurae about 11 MYA. This and other evidence including differences in the arrangement of down in chicks and behaviour leads some authors to placing them in the separate genus Euodice.
Studies in molecular phylogeny suggests that the Estrildinae may have originated in India and dispersed thereafter towards Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats.
The African silverbill is approximately 10 cm (3.9 in) in length with a long black pointed tail. The adult has a stubby silver-blue bill, finely vermiculated light-brown upper parts, whitish underparts, black rump and black wings. The sexes are similar, but immatures lack the vermiculations. This species has a tseep call and a trilling song. The contact call of the male is a single tseep while the female is a double noted tsiptsip. Birds in flight keep up a constant tseep tseep tseep.
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