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 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary
Dusky Munia
Lonchura fuscans
White-bellied Munia
Lonchura leucogastra
Nutmeg Mannikin
Lonchura punctulata
Java Sparrow
Lonchura oryzivora
Red Avadavat
Amandava amandava
Slender-billed Crow
Corvus enca
Black-and-red Broadbill
Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchos
Javan Myna
Acridotheres javanicus
Ashy Tailorbird
Orthotomus ruficeps
Malaysian Pied-Fantail
Rhipidura javanica
White-crowned Shama
Copsychus stricklandii
White-chested Babbler
Trichastoma rostratum
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 Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut Munia sighting in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary, based on 248 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Chestnut Munia in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary?
August has the highest sighting rate for Chestnut Munia in Kinabatangan Wildlife Sanctuary in our monthly data.