- Lonchura kelaarti
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
Three subspecies are recognized[1].
- L. k. vernayi: eastern India (southern Odisha and northeastern Andhra Pradesh)
- 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
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
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2021. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2021. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Black-throated Munia. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 27 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Black-throated_Munia
External Links
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
