White Java Sparrow

1 Species Overview

The white Java sparrow is a bird developed in Japan; the chick has grey back feathers and the adult turns snow-white with a red bill and feet, very beautiful. Gentle, it likes to be close to people and play, is easy to care for and can be trained in simple skills, so it is popular with bird keepers. As a hand-tame bird it suits beginners and is an entry-level species. In its native range it once threatened crops and was seen as a pest, but through breeders’ efforts it is now a beloved hand bird. It is pretty and lively, human-friendly, but not good at nest-building. Keep it on canary seed, millet, rice and greens; once acclimated it can live year-round in a dry, warm outdoor aviary with comfortable perches. Note its temperament is irritable and it may attack other birds, even its own kind, so watch how the birds get along.

Taxonomy: Chinese name Bai Wen Niao; alias Java rice sparrow (Zhua Wa He Que); English name White Java Sparrow; kingdom Animalia; phylum Chordata; class Aves; order Passeriformes; family Estrildidae (waxbills and finches); the white form of the Java sparrow Padda oryzivora (native to Java and Bali, Indonesia; the white morph bred in captivity, notably in Japan).

2 Physical Characteristics

The white Java sparrow is a familiar bird, robust and healthy, ideal for beginners. Once a crop pest in its native range, it is now a popular hand bird through breeding. It is pretty and lively, human-friendly but a poor nest-builder. It is 13 to 14 cm long, all-white in plumage, with red bill and feet elsewhere.

3 Keeping Precautions

Feed canary seed, millet, rice and greens; once acclimated it can live year-round in a dry, warm outdoor aviary. Its temperament is irritable and it may attack other birds, even its own kind, so watch the birds’ coexistence. The white Java sparrow is not very afraid of people, but best fed by one person; vary the diet with at least 3 kinds. It likes hulled seeds: rice, millet, broomcorn millet, hemp seed; a common mix is rice (or millet), barnyard grass and millet at 6:3:1.

Four cautions: 1. Do not feed it flavored human food; once it learns such food it will want everything people eat, harming health. 2. Do not casually apply ointment to small wounds; too much ointment mats the feathers and loses insulation, making the bird peck and cause bleeding or feather loss. 3. Do not let it leave your sight; let it out a few hours after work or school and cage it otherwise, since most short Java-sparrow lives end from accidents or illness. 4. Do not clip its wings; clipping makes flight unstable and causes chest or foot injury from falling.

4 Housing and Equipment

If kept in a room, ensure airflow and avoid stuffy air; if air is good, keep it in a living room or open space, with a small bulb for warmth and a cloth over the cage at night against cold. For taming, call its name or use a single tone (like a whistle) at feeding; at about one month old, lure it out with a favorite treat about 2 to 3 steps from the cage, then increase the distance as it returns on its own.

Equipment: 1. Cage: a small cage makes birds sick and nestlings fail, so choose a spacious one. 2. Aviary: lets many species mix and small birds fly freely; bigger is better, with one long side for flight; the door need not be large but must have two layers to stop escapes. 3. Perch: the perch is the bird’s lifeline; sized so the toes can spread slightly when gripping. 4. Feed boxes: a staple box (mixed seeds, millet, broomcorn) and a supplement box (shell powder, conditioning feed). 5. Water cup: since bathing and drinking share one container, change water daily. 6. Nest: a woven flask-shaped nest with a narrow entrance and wider middle, required for Java sparrows and related color forms.

5 Feeding Requirements

Fed by one person, with varied diet of at least 3 kinds; it likes hulled seeds (rice, millet, broomcorn, hemp). A common mix is rice (or millet), barnyard grass and millet at 6:3:1, plus washed greens like rape and cabbage (disinfect 10 minutes in 1/1000 potassium permanganate, drain, then feed). Oyster shell powder and cuttlebone are essential supplements; feed every other day, removing leftovers. Change cage floor sand every 3 days with clean, dried sand. In summer avoid sun and ensure ventilation; in winter keep indoor temperature around 20 degrees C, below 15 affecting breeding and rearing. The Java sparrow likes bathing; give clean water daily, twice in summer (9 and 16 h) and once in winter (14 h).

Key feeds: 1. Perilla seed (Su Zi): purple perilla seed is small and brown, disliked; white perilla is larger, silver-grey with net streaks and favored, but high in fat so limit. 2. Rape seed: crucifer seeds, rich in fat, given before nesting, molting and winter, under 20 percent. 3. Rice: good feed but the husk is 9.9 percent crude fiber, so keep to 10 to 20 percent of the diet; use japonica or indica, the favorites. 4. Grit: birds have no teeth and swallow whole, relying on the gizzard to grind; grit in the gizzard aids digestion. 5. Eggshell or shell powder: for minerals; dry fresh eggshell or shell before powdering and disinfect to prevent protein spoilage.