Indian silverbill

Lonchura malabarica

Indian silverbill
Photo: Santhosh Korambil

The adult Indian silverbill is 11–11.5 cm long and has a conical silver-grey bill, buff-brown upperparts, white underparts, buffy flanks and dark wings. The tail is black and the wings are dark contrasting with a white rump. The sexes are similar, but immatures have buff underparts and a shorter tail. The tail appears pointed as the length of the feathers reduces from the centre outwards. It feeds mainly on seeds, but also takes insects.

These birds are gregarious and in Greenford I they are found in flocks of 5-6 birds flittering around low shrubs and picking grass stalks to build their nests. Nests are usually an untidy ball of grasses, but here it is mostly found to use old nests of the weaver bird, many found near the children's park

Source: Wikipedia