Scaly-breasted Munia
Encyclopedia
The Scaly-breasted Munia or Spotted Munia (Lonchura punctulata) known in the pet trade as Nutmeg Mannikin or Spice Finch is a sparrow-sized estrildid finch
native to tropical Asia
extending from India
and Sri Lanka
east to Indonesia
and the Philippines
. It has been introduced into many other parts of the world and has established in Puerto Rico
and Hispaniola
as well as parts of Australia and the United States of America. They are found in open habitats including gardens and agricultural fields where they forage in groups for grass seeds.
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The Scaly-breasted Munia is 11–12 cm long. The adult has a stubby dark bill, brown upperparts and darker brown head. The underparts are white with black scale markings. The sexes are similar, although males have darker markings on the underside and a darker throat. Immature birds have pale brown upperparts, lack the darker head and with uniform buff underparts can be confused with immatures of other munias such as the Tricoloured Munia
.
Populations within their wide distribution range show variations in plumage colour and size and about 11 subspecies are recognized. These include the nominate form found in the plains of South Asia (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). The name lineoventer was formerly used for the Indian population. Other populations include subundulata from the eastern Himalayas, yunnanensis of southern China, topela of Thailand, cabanisi of the Philippines and fretensis of Singapor and Sumatra. Island populations include nisoria (Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa), particeps (Sulawesi), baweana (Bawean Island), sumbae (Sumba) and blasii (Flores, Timor and Tanimbar).
Outside their native range, escaped birds frequently establish themselves in areas with suitable climate. Escaped or introduced populations have been recorded in the West Indies (Puerto Rico since 1971), Hawaii, Australia, Japan and southern United States mainly in Florida and California. In Oahu, Hawaii, they compete for habitats with Lonchura malacca and tend to be rare where the latter is present.
and other plants. They sometimes form large flocks of as many as 100 birds. Like some other munias, they sometimes feed on algae. They sometimes flick the tail while hopping about. The tail may be flicked laterally and sometimes vertically and will sometimes flick their wings as well. When roosting, they will set in close contact with each other. Birds in a flock will sometimes preen each other. The soliciting bird usually showing its chin. Allopreening is usually limited to just the face and neck. The breeding season is during the rainy season (mainly June to August in India) but can breed at other times. The calls include a short whistle, variations on kitty-kitty-kitty and a sharp chipping alarm note. The song of the male is very soft but complex and variable and is audible only at close range. This song described as a jingle consists of a series of high notes followed by a croaky rattle and ending in slurred whistle. When singing the male sits very erect with the head feathers raised. The nest is a large domed structure made of loose grass, bamboo or other leaves with a side entrance and placed in a tree or under the eaves of a house. A study in southern India found the preferred nesting trees to be Toddalia asiatica, Gymnosporia montana and Acacia chundra
especially short and bushy ones in areas with low canopy cover. The nest opening is located along the most frequent wind direction. In northern India, they preferred isolated Acacia nilotica in non-urban areas but Thuja orientalis and Polyalthia longifolia in urban areas. The clutch is usually 4 to 6 but can be up to 10. Both sexes help build the nest and incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch after about 10 to 16 days.
The ease of maintaining these birds in captivity has made them popular for studying behaviour and physiology. Studies on foraging have examined the effect of group size on reducing predator vigilance and increasing feeding efficiency. Time spent on vigilance is greatest among solitary individuals and reduces as the group size increases to about four. Foraging birds may feed actively on the substrate or pick grain dropped on the ground and these strategies may be chosen according to the situation. Laboratory studies have found that long day illumination and high humidity trigger gonadal growth.
Estrildid finch
The estrildid finches are small passerine birds of the Old World tropics and Australasia. They can be classified as the family Estrildidae , or as a sub-group within the family Passeridae, which also includes the true sparrows....
native to tropical Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
extending from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
east to Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It has been introduced into many other parts of the world and has established in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
as well as parts of Australia and the United States of America. They are found in open habitats including gardens and agricultural fields where they forage in groups for grass seeds.
Description
Tricoloured Munia
The Tricoloured Munia Lonchura malacca is a estrildid finch, native to India and Sri Lanka. The species was also introduced to Australia, Cuba, Hispaniola, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Hawaii and Venezuela.-Taxonomic note:...
.
Populations within their wide distribution range show variations in plumage colour and size and about 11 subspecies are recognized. These include the nominate form found in the plains of South Asia (Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka). The name lineoventer was formerly used for the Indian population. Other populations include subundulata from the eastern Himalayas, yunnanensis of southern China, topela of Thailand, cabanisi of the Philippines and fretensis of Singapor and Sumatra. Island populations include nisoria (Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa), particeps (Sulawesi), baweana (Bawean Island), sumbae (Sumba) and blasii (Flores, Timor and Tanimbar).
Habitat and distribution
Scaly-breasted Munias are found in a range of habitas but are usually close to water and grassland. In India, they are especially common in paddy fields where they are considered a minor pest on account of their grain feeding. They are found mainly on the plains but are found in the foothills of the Himalayas although sometimes found up to an altitude of 2500 m and in the Nilgiris they are found in summer up to 2100 m. In Pakistan they are restricted to a narrow region from Swat in the west to Lahore avoiding the desert zone and occurring again in India east of a line between Ludhiana and Mount Abu. It is rare in Kashmir.Outside their native range, escaped birds frequently establish themselves in areas with suitable climate. Escaped or introduced populations have been recorded in the West Indies (Puerto Rico since 1971), Hawaii, Australia, Japan and southern United States mainly in Florida and California. In Oahu, Hawaii, they compete for habitats with Lonchura malacca and tend to be rare where the latter is present.
Behaviour and ecology
The Scaly-breasted Munia is a small gregarious bird which feeds mainly on seeds but also takes small berries of LantanaLantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
and other plants. They sometimes form large flocks of as many as 100 birds. Like some other munias, they sometimes feed on algae. They sometimes flick the tail while hopping about. The tail may be flicked laterally and sometimes vertically and will sometimes flick their wings as well. When roosting, they will set in close contact with each other. Birds in a flock will sometimes preen each other. The soliciting bird usually showing its chin. Allopreening is usually limited to just the face and neck. The breeding season is during the rainy season (mainly June to August in India) but can breed at other times. The calls include a short whistle, variations on kitty-kitty-kitty and a sharp chipping alarm note. The song of the male is very soft but complex and variable and is audible only at close range. This song described as a jingle consists of a series of high notes followed by a croaky rattle and ending in slurred whistle. When singing the male sits very erect with the head feathers raised. The nest is a large domed structure made of loose grass, bamboo or other leaves with a side entrance and placed in a tree or under the eaves of a house. A study in southern India found the preferred nesting trees to be Toddalia asiatica, Gymnosporia montana and Acacia chundra
Acacia chundra
Acacia chundra is a perennial, deciduous tree found in Asia, India and in the Indian Ocean area. It grows 12 m to 15 m in height.Common names for it include Karangali, Kodalimurunkai, Lal Khair, Lal Khair, Rat Kihiriya and Red Cutch.Its uses include chemical products, medicine and wood.- Uses :The...
especially short and bushy ones in areas with low canopy cover. The nest opening is located along the most frequent wind direction. In northern India, they preferred isolated Acacia nilotica in non-urban areas but Thuja orientalis and Polyalthia longifolia in urban areas. The clutch is usually 4 to 6 but can be up to 10. Both sexes help build the nest and incubate the eggs. The eggs hatch after about 10 to 16 days.
The ease of maintaining these birds in captivity has made them popular for studying behaviour and physiology. Studies on foraging have examined the effect of group size on reducing predator vigilance and increasing feeding efficiency. Time spent on vigilance is greatest among solitary individuals and reduces as the group size increases to about four. Foraging birds may feed actively on the substrate or pick grain dropped on the ground and these strategies may be chosen according to the situation. Laboratory studies have found that long day illumination and high humidity trigger gonadal growth.