Chestnut-breasted Munia

About the Chestnut-breasted Munia

The chestnut-breasted mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax), also known as the chestnut-breasted munia or bully bird (in Australia), is a small brown-backed munia with a black face and greyish crown and nape. It has a broad ferruginous breast bar above a white belly. The species' natural range includes Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It has also been introduced to French Polynesia and New Caledonia.

The chestnut-breasted mannikin has a total of six subspecies and seven forms. The subspecies are as follows: L. c. castaneothorax – (Gould, 1837): nominate, occurs in eastern Australia. L. c. assimilis – Mathews, 1910: occurs in northern Australia. Not recognized as a valid subspecies by some authorities. Identification: Richer breast and cream ground color to belly and flanks.

L. c. ramsayi – Delacour, 1943: occurs in southeastern Papua New Guinea. Identification: Distinctive black head with faint scalloping. Female is more noticeable than the male. L. c. boschmai – Junge, 1952: occurs in Lake Wissel area in Irian Jaya. Identification: Brown scallops on the flanks and paler to straw on the upper tail-coverts.

L. c. sharpii – (Madarász, 1894): occurs... Wikipedia →