Chestnut Munia

Overview

The chestnut munia, also known as the black-headed munia, is a small passerine estrildid finch that was formerly considered conspecific with the tricoloured munia. It is classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List and is widely accepted as a separate species.

Identification

• Size: 11–12 cm in length.
• Plumage: Black head with a brown body and a brick red patch on the lower back, which is visible only when the bird flies. Some races also feature a black belly.
• Bill: Stubby pale grey-blue or silvery grey bill.
• Immature Birds: Lack the dark head, featuring uniform pale brown upperparts and white to pale buff underparts.

Habitat

The chestnut munia is a resident breeding bird in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, and Hawaii. It has also been introduced to all the Greater Antilles and Martinique in the Caribbean. This gregarious species frequents open grassland and cultivation.

Diet

The chestnut munia feeds mainly on grain and other seeds.

Did you know?

Until 1995, the chestnut munia served as the national bird of the Philippines, where it is known in Tagalog as mayang pula ('red maya') due to its brick red lower back patch. This local name distinguishes it from the mayang simbahan ('church maya'), which refers to the Eurasian tree sparrow.