Going By The Book When It Comes To Finches

What’s in a name? Plenty, when you’re talking finches, says TONY EDWARDS

- Tony Edwards

WHILE discussing Bengalese, authors often refer to the sharp-tailed finch and the striated finch – and the word finch is often replaced with mannikin or munia, which are interchangeable. However, the convention is normally to use the word “mannikin” for African and New Guinea Lonchura species and “Munia” for most Asian species.

Striated and sharp-tailed finches are not currently regarded as being separate species, with the striated finch from India being regarded as the nominate sub-species of the white-rumped munia (Lonchura striata) and the sharp-tailed finch from the Burma region being the subspecies L. striata acuticauda. It is now widely acknowledged that the Bengalese finch was developed in Japan from the white-rumped, or white-backed munia, probably the Chinese L. striata swinhoei. Confusingly, the Chinese white-rumped munia has also been referred to by the common names of Chinese striated munia and Swinhoe’s sharp-tailed munia (Munias and Mannikins by Robin Restall).

A few years ago, I decided to investigate the origins of the Bengalese finch by searching online for books, articles and scientific studies. Subsequently, I was able to download some of the older publications and I bought several secondhand books.

My oldest, a download of The Illustrated Book of Canaries and Cage Birds, British and Foreign by W.A. Blakston, W. Swaysland and August F. Weiner (the latter wrote the foreign bird section), has a handwritten inscription dated Christmas 1887.

When discussing the sharp-tailed and striated finches, Weiner indicates that it was not clear which species was used to develop the white Bengalese in Japan and the associated variegated colours.