White-headed Munia

Description: Smallish , white headed brown finch. Similar to chesnut Munia but paler brown and entire head and throat white. Young birds are brown on upperparts with underparts and face buff. Iris-brown; bill-grey; feet-pale blue. Voice: high-pitched 'pee-pee' Distribution and status: malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Celebes. In Java and Bali this is a fairly common and widespread bird up to 1500 m. Habits: frequents marshes and reedbeds. Like other munias form large flocks during rice harvest but spread out in pairs during breeding season. General behavior similar to other munias. Diet: Rice and Grass seeds. Breeding: Four to five, occasionally six, white eggs are laid in a typical munia ball-shaped grass nest. Breeding is recorded in West Java for February. Race; Lm.

The White-headed Munia is classified as Least Concern. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category.

* White-headed Munia and Panicum maximum Howard Banwell sent in images of the White-headed Munia... * Chestnut Munia eating grass seeds Munias normally fly to their food plants, landing on... * Scaly-breasted Munia eats elephant grass seeds Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata fretensis) feeds mainly on seed.... * A tame Scaly-breasted Munia? “I was on my usual butterfly photography outing today... More

The White-headed munia will prefer the larger seeds of a parakeet mix to the smaller seeds commonly found in most finch mixes. The imported birds were slow to take my egg food, but after watching the Rufous-backed mannikins and Chestnut Breasted mannikins they were housed with (not breeding), they began to sample it (Roy's egg food). They should be given access to grit, and calcium in the form of crushed egg shells, crushed oyster shells and cuttlebone. More

The White-headed Munia Lonchura maja is a species of estrildid finch found in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This species is also introduced to Portugal. It is found in wetlands habitat. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern. Description: Smallish (11 cm), white headed brown finch. Similar to chesnut Munia but paler brown and entire head and throat white. Young birds are brown on upperparts with underparts and face buff. Iris-brown; bill-grey; feet-pale blue. More

White-headed Munia are decreasing in number - partly due to trapping for pet shops and also a result of loss of habitat (in the city at least). However, there are still some large flocks to be seen at this field and at some overgrown Chinese cemeteries. On 26th Dec 2009 (using my pictures to count), there were more than 235 White-headed Munias and 1 Black-headed Munia Lonchura malacca sinensis at this site in the same flock. More

White-Headed Munia - Information - White-Headed Munia - Information DESCRIPTION 5 inches (12cm). Chestnut-coloured body with white head, black underparts. Eyes brown, beak dark blue-grey, legs grey. Male's head sometimes brighter.NATURAL DISTRIBUTION Malay Peninsula and neighbouring islands.HABITAT Grassland, sometimes in very large flocks.DIET Insects, cuttlebone, weed seeds, egg food, greens, canary-rearing food and stale bread soaked in milk or water.SPECIAL NEEDS Its fast-growing nails should be carefully trimmed twice a year. Needs fresh bathwater daily. More

Aspects of the topic white-headed munia are discussed in the following places at Britannica. Assorted References * species of munia (in munia (bird)) ...atricapilla and ferruginosa), is a pest in rice fields from India to Java and the Philippines; as a cage bird it is often called tricolour nun. Others kept as pets include the white-headed munia (L. More

When I bought my first pair of White-headed Munias they were called Maja Finches a name not heard now, most dealers and pet shops call them Nuns a term commonly used in the USA for these birds. An Asian species they are found in Thailand, Malaysian peninsula and Singapore to Sumatra, Java and Bali, and there is also a Vietnamese race. More

White-headed Munia is sometimes confused with the Pale-headed Munia (L. pallida), which has flanks which are tan and significantly lighter in color than its brown wings. The Pale-headed Munia also lacks the black belly. Juveniles are cinnamon above and buff colored below with dark grey feet and a grey bill. Juveniles are indistinguishable from juvenile Black-throated Munias (L. ferruginosa), juvenile Pale-headed Munias, juvenile Chestnut Munias (L. atricapilla), and juvenile Scaly-breasted Munias (L. punctulata). More

White-headed Munia at Feathered Flyer Finchworld's "The Nun Index" links to further Nun Information. More

Order : Passeriformes
Family : Estrildidae
Genus : Lonchura
Species : maja
Authority : (Linnaeus, 1766)