Bird Album
Black-and-white Mannikin
Spermestes bicolor (Fraser, 1843)
9.9 gWeight
The black-and-white mannikin (Spermestes bicolor) also black-and-white munia or red-backed mannikin, is a species of estrildid finch, widely present throughout sub-Saharan Africa.
Most records: Uganda, Kenya, Ghana
Where and when it's recorded
Black-and-white Mannikin has been recorded at 295 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 29 countries and regions.
Records by month Southern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Mt Kenya NP – Castle Forest and LodgeKenya501 records
- Bigodi SwampUganda454 records
- Entebbe Botanical GardenUganda264 records
More places
- Atewa – farm scrub and degraded forestGhana236 records
- East Usambara Mountains – Amani Nature ReserveTanzania224 records
- Antwikwaa – forest edge & farm scrubGhana206 records
- Eshowe – Dlinza ForestSouth Africa203 records
- Kibale NPUganda202 records
- Karura ForestKenya179 records
- Arusha NPTanzania171 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The black-and-white mannikin (Spermestes bicolor) also black-and-white munia or red-backed mannikin, is a species of estrildid finch, widely present throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 4,200,000 km2 (1,600,000 sq mi).
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Black-and-white Mannikin?
The Black-and-white Mannikin weighs around 9.9 g.
Where does the Black-and-white Mannikin live?
Its breeding range: Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa. It is most often recorded in Uganda, Kenya and Ghana.
Is the Black-and-white Mannikin endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Black-and-white Mannikin as Least Concern.
What does the Black-and-white Mannikin eat?
Main food: Seeds.
What family is the Black-and-white Mannikin in?
It belongs to the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Weight
- 9.9 g
- Habitat
- Woodland
- Diet
- Seeds
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Resident (barely migrates)
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 48 mm
- Tail
- 34 mm
- Bill
- 10 mm
- Tarsus
- 12 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Africa: Sub-Saharan Africa
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Waxbills, Munias & Allies Estrildidae
- Genus
- Spermestes
Other birds in the genus Spermestes
Grey-headed SilverbillSpermestes griseicapilla
Bronze MannikinSpermestes cucullata
Magpie MannikinSpermestes fringilloides
Pictorella MannikinHeteromunia pectoralis
Mountain FiretailOreostruthus fuliginosus
Diamond FiretailStagonopleura guttata
Red-eared FiretailStagonopleura oculata
Beautiful FiretailStagonopleura bella
Crimson FinchNeochmia phaeton
Red-browed FinchNeochmia temporalis
Download illustration
Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by Alan Manson. ↗
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