The Java sparrow is considered by a number of countries to be an agricultural pest with respect to rice cultivation. It was also introduced to Christmas Island, off the coast of Western Australia. It has also been sighted in Jamaica, but is not known to occur on any of the other islands. In the Caribbean, the Java sparrow was introduced to Puerto Rico where it is fairly common near San Juan. In the United States there are breeding populations on several of the Hawaiian Islands, especially Oahu. The Java sparrow was introduced in the Indian subcontinent, but it failed to become a successful resident on the Indian mainland. IntroductionsĪ juvenile in Hawaii with a black/dark-grey beak In captivity, a variety of colourations have been bred, including white, silver/opal, fawn/isabel, pastel, cream and agate (which currently is rare within Europe captive specimens) along with the pied Java sparrow (called the sakura buncho in Japan). As such, they can be normally kept in relatively small cages, but let out for indoor exercise without their attempting to escape. In Asia the Java sparrow is most often raised almost from birth by human breeders and owners, and they become very tame and attached to humans. Today it remains illegal to possess in California because of a perceived threat to agriculture, although rice-dependent Asian countries like China, Taiwan and Japan have not regulated the bird. In the late 1960s and early 1970s the Java sparrow was one of the most popular cage birds in the United States until its import was banned. Meiji-era writer Natsume Sōseki wrote an essay about his pet Java sparrow.
The Java sparrow has been a popular cage bird in Asia for centuries, first in Ming Dynasty China and then in Japan from the 17th century, frequently appearing in Japanese paintings and prints. The nest is constructed in a tree or building, and up to eight eggs are laid.
It frequents open grassland and cultivation, and was formerly a pest in rice fields, hence its scientific name. The Java sparrow is a very gregarious bird which feeds mainly on grain and other seeds. Molecular phylogeny indicates that this species may have originated in India and dispersed to Africa and Pacific Ocean habitats from there.
Java sparrow series#
The call is a chip, and the song is a rapid series of call notes chipchipchipchipchipchip. Very young birds have a black beak with a pink base. Immature birds have brown upperparts and pale brown underparts, and a plain head.
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