Black-throated Munia - BirdForum Opus

Lonchura kelaarti

Photo by Biju.P.B
Shendurney forests, Kerala, May, 2010

Identification

12cm

• Dark brown upperparts
• Blackish head, breast and wings
• Long black tail
• Bill is short and thick

Sexes similar
Immature: lacks the dark head. Underparts are more uniform.

Distribution

Asia: found in India and Sri Lanka.

Taxonomy

Subspecies^[1]

There are 2 subspecies:

• L. k. kelaarti: pinkish underparts and rump

• South-western India (Kerala to western Tamil Nadu) and Eastern Ghats

• L. k. jerdoni: barred black and white underparts and rump

• Highlands of Sri Lanka

An additional subspecies, vernayi, is not recognised by all authorities^[2].

Habitat

Open hill woodland and cultivation.

Behaviour

Diet

The diet includes seeds.

Breeding

The nest is a large grass dome in a tree or creepers on a house wall; the Indian species lay 3-8 white eggs but more usually 5 are laid by Sri Lankan birds.

References

1. Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
2. Avibase
3. Wikipedia

• List of references

Recommended Citation

• BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-throated Munia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 12 May 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-throated_Munia

External Links

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