Chestnut Munia
Lonchura atricapilla
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyEstrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
- GenusLonchura (Typical Munias and Mannikins)
- SpeciesLonchura atricapilla (Chestnut Munia)
About the Chestnut Munia
The chestnut munia or black-headed munia (Lonchura atricapilla) is a small passerine. It was formerly considered conspecific with the closely related tricoloured munia, but is now widely accepted as a separate species. This estrildid finch is a resident breeding bird in Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Burma, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Hawaii. It also has been introduced to all the Greater Antilles and Martinique in the Caribbean.
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 which is visible only when it flies. This distinguishes it from other birds locally called maya, notably the predominantly brownish "mayang simbahan" ("church maya", which specifically refers to the Eurasian tree sparrow) which is more common in urban areas.
The chestnut munia has seven subspecies accepted: Lonchura atricapilla rubronigra (Hodgson, 1836) Lonchura atricapilla atricapilla (Vieillot, 1807) Lonchura atricapilla deignani Parkes, 1958 Lonchura atricapilla sinensis (Blyth, 1852)
Lonchura atricapilla... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Chestnut Munia in Danum Valley Conservation Area
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Danum Valley Conservation Area
Dusky Munia
Lonchura fuscans
White-bellied Munia
Lonchura leucogastra
Little Spiderhunter
Arachnothera longirostra
Slender-billed Crow
Corvus enca
Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Eurylaimus ochromalus
White-crowned Shama
Copsychus stricklandii
Lesser Green Leafbird
Chloropsis cyanopogon
Spectacled Bulbul
Rubigula erythropthalmos
Malaysian Pied-Fantail
Rhipidura javanica
Yellow-rumped Flowerpecker
Prionochilus xanthopygius
Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus brunneus
Black-headed Pitta
Erythropitta ussheri
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sepilok | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 2 | Tangkoko Nature Reserve | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 4 | Kinabalu Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 5 | Kaziranga National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Taroko National Park | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | |
| 8 | Khao Yai National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 9 | Danum Valley Conservation Area | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 10 | Kaeng Krachan National Park | 🇹🇭 Thailand | |
| 11 | Tanjung Puting National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 12 | Bako National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | |
| 13 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 14 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 15 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Chestnut Munia in Danum Valley Conservation Area?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut Munia sighting in Danum Valley Conservation Area, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Chestnut Munia in Danum Valley Conservation Area?
May has the highest sighting rate for Chestnut Munia in Danum Valley Conservation Area in our monthly data.