Encounter: Indian Silverbill

If coochicooable was a word, it would fit the Indian Silverbill


My first memories of fellow Ogre Sahastra are tied to a photograph he posted in the Infosys photography club. The first was of a group of tiny, brown birds with beautiful conical beaks shining like metal, perched on a plant reduced to sticks by harsh summer. And the bird's name sounded like a wind chime tinkling.


Indian Silverbill.

If 'coochicooable' was a word, it would fit the Indian Silverbill

Immediately, I was intrigued by the Indian Silverbill or White-throated Munia (Euodice malabarica) and recognized it the moment I saw it in Mysore. The birds, always in a flock, perched on tall grass stalks, flitting from one to another, stealing an occasional private moment to plant tiny kisses on each other.

The Indian Silverbill blends into its surroundings thanks to its dull plumage

Since then I have seen them everywhere in small groups, feeding on tiny seeds of grass in scrublands. Often, their small size renders them invisible -- they are even smaller than sparrows -- and when you step into the grass, you can see ten or twenty suddenly take flight, making soft cheeping noises.

The birds huddle close and whisper gossip

At times they huddle together on a single stalk perhaps to share body heat in a cold breeze, or face each other and peer at something far beyond, their tiny eyes tinkling.

Text and photos by Sandeep Somasekharan

Read more posts in our Encounter series

Wordless Wednesday - Who said three's a crowd?

Photograph: Sandeep Somasekharan
See more Wordless Wednesdays

On the Wing: Indian Silverbills

Ever wondered why some birds never fly? And we are talking of little birds, not ostriches and emus...

Flit: v. To move lightly and swiftly. 


I have always been amazed as to how some birds never seem to fly -- they always flit. Whenever I have come across a flock of Indian Silverbills (Euodice malabarica), also called the White-throated Munia, I have had a hard time observing their wing movements. They always seem to be in a hurry and appear permanently unsettled. All one ever gets to see is a blur of wings accompanied by a soft buzz or a short hop. 

On the field one can identify them by their silvery finch-like bill, though I always notice the white rump patch first. Like all finches and munias, these seed-feeders are delightful to watch but no matter how long one observes them, you will never see them fly. They just flit. 

The blog Nature Magnified has some good pics of this bird

Text and Photograph by Sahastrarashmi