It was a species i haven't recalled ever seeing before, even on the internet. The bill compliments the plumage quite nicely in my eyes. Fortunately enough, i had my phone with me and was able to capture our encounter at the time. I'm glad it didn't fly away as i was (clumsily) trying to take its picture.
Later that day, i scanned the photo to identify the bird's species.
image: birds of the same species as the one i saw. (source: basel zoo's online animal encyclopedia)
Padda oryzivora. How neat! I've read that it is native to the islands of Java and Bali in Indonesia. Though there is one particular detail about this finch which i would like to take note of:
Java Sparrow "Padda oryzivora" has most recently been assessed for The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2020. Padda oryzivora is listed as Endangered under criteria C2a(i). (BirdLife International, 2021)
Interesting, no? Apparently, from what i have read, the bird also seems to be a relatively popular house pet. Perhaps our little finch here was released. Maybe it flew away from the captivity someone's house. I don't know; it could be wild, too.
I haven't dived too deep into the discipline of species conservation, so this is my first time recognizing an endangered animal on the very streets i walk on, outside conservation sites and away from the vast wilderness distant to much of the human population.
***
I found this set of guidelines while searching online for how exactly a species' vulnerability is assessed using IUCN's standards. Pretty cool find, if you ask me; it gives some insight on what we mean when we say a species is endangered.
As mentioned above, our little finch's "endangered" status is qualified under the C2a(i) criteria. I could give a summary on what this means, but, honestly, i am rather tired and would like to take a rest soon. See the guidelines above or the species' page on IUCN's official website here if you're curious.
Good night, little Java Sparrow, wherever you have flown to.