Colours
Distinguishing features
small brown-backed munia with a black face and greyish crown and nape. It has a broad ferruginous breast bar above a white belly. (Wikipedia)
Size
- Up to 10 cm (Length of specimen)
Wingspan
- Wingspan data is not yet available.
Synonyms
Distribution
©Atlas of Living Australia: Australian distribution
Distribution and habitat preferences
In Australia, it is known as a bird of reed beds and rank grasses bordering rivers, in swamp, in grassy country, and mangroves. It is commonly found in cane fields and cereal crops. In dry seasons, it is seen in arid country but always near water. It is also found in grassy woodland.
In New Guinea, it is a bird of drier areas and does not usually seen in jungle roads and clearings where other munias such as Grey-headed Mannikin are found.
In French Polynesia, it is well established as an introduced species, and its habits have developed somewhaat differently, indicating the adaptability of the species. It is widespread on the bracken-covered hill slopes, in pastures and gardens (it is not a garden bird in Australia), on cultivated land and wasteland, in forest ecotones and coconut plantations. (Wikipedia)
Diet
It has a distinct liking for Barley seed. The species is also fond of paspalum grass (Paspalum longifolium), bullrush millet (Pennisetum typhoides) and Sorghum species. It is also been recorded that it feeds on feral millet (Pannicum maximum) and wild sugar cane (Saccharum robustum) in Papua New Guinea. (Wikipedia)
