Alternative names: Black-headed Munia; Southern Black-headed Munia; Chestnut Mannikin; Black-headed Mannikin
- Lonchura atricapilla
Identification
11-12cm (4¼-4¾ in)
- Chestnut brown body
- Black head, nape and throat
- Dark iris
- Pale grey bill, legs and feet
Sexes similar
Juvenile
- Pale brown above
- Pale underparts
Similar Species
Juvenile Scaly-breasted Munia has a black bill, not pale gray or blue-gray.
Distribution
Asia: found in China, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Hong Kong
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Borneo, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi.
This species occurs as feral in several countries, for example Portugal and Hawaii.
Taxonomy
Photo © by Alok Tewari
Dist. Jhajjar, Haryana, India, 22 August 2019
This species has in the past been lumped with White-capped Munia. When further combined with Tricolored Munia it may be assigned to an expanded "Chestnut Munia" (L. malacca) [9].
Subspecies
Clements recognises the following subspecies [1]:
- L. a. rubronigra: Northern India (Haryana to northern Bihar) and lowlands of Nepal
- L. a. atricapilla: South-eastern Nepal and north-eastern India to Myanmar and north-western Yunnan
- L. a. deignani: South-western China (south-western Yunnan) to Thailand, Laos and Vietnam
- L. a. sinensis: Peninsula Thailand, Malaya, Sumatra, Riau Archipelago and Lingga Archipelago
- L. a. batakana: Mountains of northern Sumatra
- L. a. formosana: Taiwan and northern Philippines
- L. a. jagori: Philippines, Sulu Islands, Palawan, Borneo, Sulawesi, Muna and Butung
- L. a. obscura: Borneo (Sampit region of Kalimantan)
- L. a. selimbauensis: Borneo (Pontianak region of western Kalimantan)
- L. a. brunneiceps: Southern Sulawesi (Makassar district)
Subspecies rubronigra was recently transferred from Tricolored Munia to this species.
Cream-bellied Munia
Cream-bellied Munia (Lonchura pallidiventer) was described in 1996 based on a bird purchased in a bird market. Later studies indicates that this probably was a result of hybridization with the maternal individual a Chestnut Munia and the paternal individual unknown.
Habitat
Open grassland, paddy fields and cultivation.
Behaviour
Breeding
A large domed nest built from grass is placed in tall grass. The clutch consists of 4-7 white eggs.
Diet
The diet includes seeds and grain.
Vocalisation
Soft contact call a clear "pee" or "peet"; loud contact call "pink!".
Movements
Resident, with local and altitudinal seasonal movements.
References
- Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Wikipedia contributors. (2019, December 27). Chestnut munia. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 08:53, February 1, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Chestnut_munia&oldid=932699398
- Payne, R. B. & Sorenson, M.D. 2002. Museum Collections as Sources of Genetic Data. Bonner zoologische Beiträge 51(3):97-104 Paper describing DNA analysis of Cream-bellied Munia
- Clement, P., A. Harris, and J. Davis. 1993. Finches and Sparrows: An Identification Guide. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, N. J.
- Payne, R. (2020). Chestnut Munia (Lonchura atricapilla). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/61195 on 28 January 2020).
- Pratt, H.D., Bruner, P., and Berrett, D.G. (1987) A Field Guide to the Birds of Hawaii and the Tropical Pacific. Princeton University Press.
- Pyle, R.L., and P. Pyle. 2017. The Birds of the Hawaiian Islands: Occurrence, History, Distribution, and Status. B.P. Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI, U.S.A. Version 2 (1 January 2017) http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/birds/rlp-monograph/
- Eaton, JA, B van Balen, NW Brickle, FE Rheindt 2021. Birds of the Indonesian Archipelago (Greater Sundas and Wallacea), Second Edition. Lynx Editions. ISBN978-84-16728-44-2
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Chestnut Munia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Chestnut_Munia
