White-headed Munia
Lonchura maja
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyEstrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
- GenusLonchura (Typical Munias and Mannikins)
- SpeciesLonchura maja (White-headed Munia)
About the White-headed Munia
The white-headed munia (Lonchura maja) is a small passerine bird belonging to the estrildid finch family. This species is often confused with, and referred to as, the Pale-headed munia (Lonchura pallida) which can be differentiated by tan coloured flanks which are lighter than the brown wings and also by the absence of the black belly.
The white-headed munia was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia maja. Linnaeus cited George Edwards's "The Malacca Gros-beak" and Mathurin Jacques Brisson's "Le Maia de la Chine". The English naturalist John Ray used the word "Maia" for a Cuban bird in 1768. Linnaeus specified the locality as East India. This was amended to Malacca in 1924. The white-headed munia is now placed in the genus Lonchura that was introduced by the English naturalist William Henry Sykes in 1832. It is treated as monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
The White-headed munia has a distinctive chocolate-brown body and a contrasting white head and throat. They are typically 11 cm in length and weigh around 11 grams. Adult birds have... Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Taman Negara National Park
Nutmeg Mannikin
Lonchura punctulata
White-rumped Munia
Lonchura striata
White-bellied Munia
Lonchura leucogastra
Pin-tailed Parrotfinch
Erythrura prasina
Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
White-rumped Shama
Copsychus malabaricus
Greater Racket-tailed Drongo
Dicrurus paradiseus
Brown-cheeked Bulbul
Alophoixus bres
Red-eyed Bulbul
Pycnonotus brunneus
Chestnut-winged Babbler
Stachyris erythroptera
Asian Fairy-bluebird
Irena puella
Black-and-yellow Broadbill
Eurylaimus ochromalus
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kerinci Seblat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Way Kambas National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 3 | Bali Barat National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 4 | Gunung Leuser National Park | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 5 | Taman Negara National Park | 🇲🇾 Malaysia |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a White-headed Munia in Taman Negara National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a White-headed Munia sighting in Taman Negara National Park, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see White-headed Munia in Taman Negara National Park?
June has the highest sighting rate for White-headed Munia in Taman Negara National Park in our monthly data.