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Java sparrow (Lonchura oryzivora)

The Java Sparrow is an introduced, seed-eating bird recorded in Australia and classified as a Serious threat in the EIC list. Flocks can feed on grain and other seeds, making them a concern around crops, stored feed and places where seed is readily available.

Key facts

Type: Pest animal, bird.

Native to: Java, Bali and Bawean in Indonesia.

Established in: NSW.

Other names: Java Finch, Java Rice Sparrow, Rice Bird.

Best time to act: Look for flocks early in the morning around feeding areas, grain stores and roosting sites, and act promptly when birds are present.

Identification

  • An adult is a compact, sturdy finch about 14 to 17 cm long.
  • It has grey upperparts, pinkish underparts and a black head.
  • Look for a bold white cheek patch, a thick pink bill and a red eye-ring.
  • The tail is black and the legs are pink.
  • Juveniles are duller brown above and buff below, with a dark bill.
  • Look-alike: Other munias and finches can look similar, but the adult Java Sparrow’s contrasting black head, white cheek patch and pink bill are distinctive.

Where it lives

In Australia it may be encountered around settlements, gardens, parks and agricultural areas where seed, grain or water is available.

Why it matters

  • Flocks feed on seeds and may take grain from crops, including cereal crops.
  • They can gather around grain stores and animal-feeding areas, where spilled feed provides food.
  • Large groups may foul buildings and feeding areas.
  • Where populations establish, they may compete with native seed-eating birds for food and feeding sites.

How it spreads

  • Escaped or released cage birds can establish populations where food and suitable shelter are available.
  • Flocks can move between feeding and roosting sites and disperse locally.
  • Avoid releasing captive birds or moving birds between sites.

Control methods

  • Confirm the identification, record the location and extent of the flock, and check with the relevant state or territory biosecurity agency about approved control options.
  • Reduce access to food by promptly cleaning up spilled grain and seed and securing feed in bird-resistant storage.
  • Use exclusion measures or species-appropriate trapping only where approved, following animal-welfare requirements and seeking a suitably qualified operator when needed.
  • Check control measures regularly, follow up to prevent recolonisation, and report new or outlying sightings to the state or territory biosecurity agency.

Site hygiene and welfare

  • Keep grain, seed and animal feed securely stored, and clean up spills that could attract birds.
  • Clean transport crates and equipment after use, and do not transport or release birds at another site.
  • Use methods set out in the national model codes of practice and standard operating procedures for the species.
  • Coordinate control with neighbours and the local government biosecurity plan, as isolated effort is quickly undone by reinvasion.

Classification by state

  • Australia (national): No national listing. Managed under state and territory law.
  • Queensland: Not prohibited or restricted. Not listed as prohibited or restricted matter in Queensland. Everyone must also take all reasonable and practical steps to minimise its risks (the general biosecurity obligation).
  • New South Wales: General biosecurity duty. Not prohibited matter in NSW. The general biosecurity duty applies: anyone dealing with it must prevent, eliminate or minimise the risk it poses.
  • Victoria: Regulated pest animal. It is a regulated pest animal in Victoria. Keeping it is allowed, but releasing it into the wild is prohibited.
  • South Australia: Declared animal. Declared animals have legal restrictions, which can cover keeping, moving, selling and releasing them, and landowners may be required to control them.
  • Western Australia: Declared pest (C1, C3). C1 Exclusion: to be kept out of WA, or out of the parts of WA where it is not established. Report any sighting to DPIRD. C3 Management: landholders must manage it to reduce its impact and stop it spreading.
  • Tasmania: Not a declared pest. Not a declared pest or prohibited matter in Tasmania. Importing animals is still controlled by Biosecurity Tasmania.
  • Northern Territory: Prohibited entrant. Wildlife that is not native to the NT is a prohibited entrant, so you need an NT permit to bring it in or keep it. Report any wild sighting to the NT Government.
  • Australian Capital Territory: Not declared. Not declared under the Biosecurity Act 2023 (ACT). A general biosecurity duty still applies.

Legal obligations

Every state and territory places a duty on landholders and people working on land to prevent the spread of invasive species, such as the general biosecurity obligation in Queensland and the general biosecurity duty in New South Wales. Declarations and control requirements differ between states and local government areas, so check the current official list before work starts.

  • New South Wales: Biosecurity Act 2015 (NSW), administered by NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development

Sources