Wildlifeof Nepal
Chestnut Munia
Finches, Sparrows & Buntings
Photo: Dinesh Valke · CC BY-SA 2.0
Lonchura atricapilla
Basic stats
Diet
Grain and other seeds
Habitat
Nest a large domed grass structure in a bush or tall grass; small and gregarious
Clutch size
4–7 white eggs
Size
11–12cm
The chestnut, or black-headed, munia is a small estrildid finch 11–12 cm long, sexes alike, with races differing slightly in intensity of colour; the bill is silvery grey, the eye chestnut and the legs grey, and some races have a black belly. Before 1995 it was the national bird of the Philippines, where it is known in Tagalog as mayang pula, red maya, because of the brick-red patch on the lower back, visible only when it flies (Wikipedia, general species account).
It is a small gregarious bird that feeds mainly on grain and other seeds. The nest is a large domed grass structure in a bush or tall grass, in which four to seven white eggs are laid (Wikipedia, general species account).
Quick answers
- What does the Chestnut Munia eat?
- Grain and other seeds
- What habitat does the Chestnut Munia live in?
- Nest a large domed grass structure in a bush or tall grass; small and gregarious
- How many eggs does the Chestnut Munia lay?
- 4–7 white eggs
- How big is the Chestnut Munia?
- 11–12cm