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Java sparrow
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Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora) with gray body, black head, and pink beak perched on a rough piece of wood in Hong Kong Park, China.
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Quick Facts
Also called:
ricebird
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Java sparrow
Java sparrow Java sparrow (Padda oryzivora).

Java sparrow

bird
Also known as: Padda oryzivora, ricebird
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
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History

Java sparrow, (Padda oryzivora), bird of the mannikin group in the family Estrildidae (order Passeriformes). One of the best-known cage birds, it is an attractive pet that chirps and trills. Native to Java and Bali, it has become established in the wild elsewhere in Asia as well as in Fiji, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the Hawaiian Islands. Also called paddy bird, it may form large flocks that damage grain. It is 14 cm (5.5 inches) long and mostly gray, with pinkish underparts, a large white ear patch, and a stout red bill.

This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.