African Silverbill (Euodice cantans)
Illustration redrawn by AI from a real photograph

African Silverbill

Euodice cantans (Gmelin, JF, 1789)

12 gWeight

The African silverbill (Euodice cantans) is a small passerine bird formerly considered conspecific with the Asian species Indian silverbill, (Euodice malabarica).

Busiest months: November · Most records: Senegal, Oman, Kenya

Least Concern

Where and when it's recorded

African Silverbill has been recorded at 149 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 20 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

  1. Ayn HamranOman422 records
  2. Ngor – Hotel Le CalaoSenegal230 records
  3. RN TechnopoleSenegal204 records
More places
  1. KAUST – Safaa Golf ClubSaudi Arabia121 records
  2. Samburu NRKenya100 records
  3. Buffalo Springs NRKenya98 records
  4. Richard Toll – zone aéroportSenegal89 records
  5. Al Sadd LakeSaudi Arabia67 records
  6. East KhawrOman66 records
  7. Shaba NRKenya64 records

Countries and regions with the most records

SenegalOmanKenyaEthiopiaSaudi ArabiaGambiaTanzaniaGhana

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

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.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the African Silverbill?

The African Silverbill weighs around 12 g.

Where does the African Silverbill live?

Its breeding range: Africa: western, central, eastern, also southwestern Arabian Peninsula. It is most often recorded in Senegal, Oman and Kenya.

When is the best time to see the African Silverbill?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the African Silverbill endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the African Silverbill as Least Concern.

What does the African Silverbill eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the African Silverbill in?

It belongs to the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Weight
12 g
Habitat
Grassland
Diet
Seeds
Lifestyle
Active on the ground
Migration
Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation
Least Concern
More measurements
Wing
54 mm
Tail
48 mm
Bill
11 mm
Tarsus
15 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Africa: western, central, eastern, also southwestern Arabian Peninsula

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Classification

Order
Passerines Passeriformes
Family
Waxbills, Munias & Allies Estrildidae
Genus
Euodice

Other birds in the genus Euodice

Indian SilverbillIndian SilverbillEuodice malabaricaPictorella MannikinPictorella MannikinHeteromunia pectoralisMountain FiretailMountain FiretailOreostruthus fuliginosusDiamond FiretailDiamond FiretailStagonopleura guttataRed-eared FiretailRed-eared FiretailStagonopleura oculataBeautiful FiretailBeautiful FiretailStagonopleura bellaCrimson FinchCrimson FinchNeochmia phaetonRed-browed FinchRed-browed FinchNeochmia temporalisPainted FinchPainted FinchEmblema pictumStar FinchStar FinchEmblema ruficauda
African Silverbill

Download illustration

Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Karim Haddad. ↗

WebP · 1070 px

Heard it but can't see it? Mingji identifies birds by sound and photo, on your phone.

In other languages