Lonchura oryzivora
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
The Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora; syn. Lonchura oryzivora), also known as the Java finch, Java rice sparrow or Java rice bird, is a small passerine bird. This species in the family Estrildidae is a resident breeding bird in Java, Bali, and Bawean in Indonesia. It is a popular cage bird, and has been introduced into many other countries.
The Java sparrow was formally described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia oryzivora. The specific epithet combines Latin oryza meaning "rice" with -vorus meaning "eating". Linnaeus based his description on the "Padda or Rice-bird" that had been described and illustrated in 1743 by the English naturalist George Edwards in his A Natural History of Uncommon Birds. Edwards believed that his specimens had come from China but mentions the common name "Java sparrow".
The species was long classified in the genus Padda, but on the basis of preliminary genetic studies Padda was merged into the genus Lonchura in 2009, before being returned to its older generic status in 2020 following more detailed genetic analysis.
The Java sparrow is about...
Recording0:17
United States · 2023
© Steven Kurniawidjaja · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:19
United States · 2022
© Cori Dixon · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
Recording0:29
United States · 2023
© nature_jane · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Haleakala National Park | 🇺🇸 United States |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manila | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 2 | Davao City | 🇵🇭 Philippines | |
| 3 | Bangkok | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 4 | Taipei | 🇹🇼 Taiwan |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Java Sparrow sighting in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, based on 34 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 44 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to January
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Java Sparrow in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge on a given day, against under 5% in February to August, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 am
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Java Sparrow sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Java Sparrow sightings, Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Haleakala National Park (United States, under 5%).
Same genus: Lonchura
The closest relatives of the Java Sparrow that you can see in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (genus Lonchura, Typical Munias and Mannikins) are Chestnut Munia (about 20%) and Nutmeg Mannikin (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Java Sparrow is recorded against all the birds logged in Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (34 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
