African or Warbling Silverbill
(Lonchura cantans)

The African or Warbling Silverbill (Lonchura cantans) is the easiest of the African mannikins to breed. The sexes are identical but sexing is fairly straight forward as young males start their warbling song almost as soon as they fledge. They seem happiest when housed in cages although some birds may resent frequent nest inspection. They have a black rump.

African Silverbills requires identical care to Bengalese but some individuals are less interested in soft foods. There are now color mutations with Chocolate and Cinnamon being the most common.

A good quality finch mix will keep these birds in good health. They are quite willing to breed in captivity and the young will usually be successfully raised on sprouted seed, egg food and live food.

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