African Silverbill
Euodice cantans
Silhouette: Sheatherius · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyEstrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
- GenusEuodice (Typical Silverbills)
- SpeciesEuodice cantans (African Silverbill)
About the African Silverbill
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.
The African silverbill was formally described in 1789 by the German naturalist Johann Friedrich Gmelin under the binomial name Loxia cantans. The specific epithet is from Latin and means "singing". Gmemlin specified the locality as Africa but this was restricted to Dakar in Senegal by William Lutley Sclater and Cyril Mackworth-Praed in 1918. It is now placed with the Indian silverbill in the genus Euodice that was introduced in 1862 by the German naturalist Ludwig Reichenbach.
In early literature, the African silverbill and the Indian silverbill (E. malabarica) were treated as conspecific. In 1943, Jean Théodore Delacour united both species in his revision of the Estrildinae. However, in 1964, Colin Harrison studied the two in a strictly comparative manner and concluded that they were two separate species... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of African Silverbill in Ngorongoro Conservation Area
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Ngorongoro Conservation Area
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Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
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Uraeginthus ianthinogaster
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Black-faced Waxbill
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Awash National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 2 | Samburu National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 3 | Mkomazi National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 4 | Tsavo East National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 5 | Amboseli National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 6 | Tsavo West National Park | 🇰🇪 Kenya | |
| 7 | Tarangire National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 8 | Ngorongoro Conservation Area | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 9 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 10 | Niokolo-Koba National Park | 🇸🇳 Senegal | |
| 11 | Kidepo Valley National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 12 | Masai Mara National Reserve | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a African Silverbill in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a African Silverbill sighting in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see African Silverbill in Ngorongoro Conservation Area?
August has the highest sighting rate for African Silverbill in Ngorongoro Conservation Area in our monthly data.