Society Biology The most important fact to know about the Society finch (better know as the Bengalese finch outside of the USA) is that it is one of the most domesticated birds in captivity. Hundreds of years of selection has led to this mild-mannered bird that is generally considered easy to breed. It has a complex genetic background and is able to hybridize with dozens of other finches, usually producing sterile hybrid offspring but in some cases fertile hybrids can be produced. The domestic population was originally developed in China and later refined in Japan. It has been theorized that it may have "blood" of the Striated Finch (Lonchura striata), the White-backed Munia (Lonchura striata acuticauda), the Indian Silverbill (Lonchura malabarica), and the Spice Finch (Lonchura punctulata). Current opinion of most experts is that the American and Japanese strains are purely Lonchura striata, but in Europe other species have been introduced to obtain some of the more striking colors and feather patterns. Now that European blood lines have been brought to Japan and the US, there will be mixing done and the story will get more complex. |
