Feature Creature from the Philippine Ornithological Collection: Java sparrow

It’s World Sparrow Day!

As we celebrate this year’s World Sparrow Day, your #NationalMuseumPH features a bird inhabitant of the seed-rich open woodlands and cultivated areas —  the Java sparrow!

Did you know that the Java sparrow is one of the very few globally threatened birds that have “greatly” expanded its range?  It has become naturalized in many parts of the world such as Asia and the Pacific, Africa, the Atlantic, North America, and the Philippines.

Also known as the Java finch, this bird is originally native to Indonesia, particularly in Bali, Java, and Madura. Its beautiful light gray plumage combined with a pinkish beak makes this bird popular in the pet trade. Although considered a pest of rice crops, its population in the wild becomes scarce because of pesticides, persecution, competition with tree sparrows, and loss of habitats. Considering these threats, the Java sparrow is now classified Endangered due to its rarity in its native range.  

In the #NationalMuseumPH, several specimens of this species were collected in Manila in February 1946. Other specimens were also documented from the nearby surrounding towns of Bulacan, Pampanga, Rizal, and Batangas from 1947 to 1958.  

At present, Java sparrow has been sighted in most of the major islands in the country except for Palawan and Mindoro.  It is a relief to note that few individuals can still be observed in vegetated urban centers in NCR (UP Diliman, Hardin ng Rosas), Laguna (UPLB grounds), and in Leyte (VISCA). 

#Worldsparrowday2022
#Javasparrow

Text and video from NMP Zoology Division

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