Society finch

A small domesticated passerine (family Estrildidae) derived from the white-rumped munia (Lonchura striata) of South and Southeast Asia. Adults weigh ~12–15 g. Domestic birds display variable plumage—white, brown, fawn, pied, and chocolate—unlike the wild progenitor's uniform brown. They have a stout, conical bill for seed-eating. Bengalese finches were domesticated in Japan at least 250+ years ago, primarily as cage birds and foster parents. They are remarkably docile and are widely used as foster parents for breeding other finch species that are poor parents in captivity. In neuroscience, they are an important model for vocal learning alongside zebra finches: their song is more complex and variable than the zebra finch's, providing complementary insights into birdsong learning, syntax, and the neural basis of vocal sequencing. They are highly social and breed prolifically in captivity, laying 4–7 eggs per clutch with ~16 days of incubation. They represent an interesting case study in the genetics of domestication. Lifespan: 6–10 years. 2n=78.