Scaly-breasted Munia

Lonchura punctulata (Linnaeus, 1758)

11–12 cmLength14 gWeight

This small brown bird has scaling all over the breast and belly and tends to forage in flocks.

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: India, China, United States

Looks like Tricolored Munia

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Back rufous, head dark brown
Bill short, stout and dark
Belly white with dark scaling

Male, female and young

Sexes similar; the male has darker markings on the belly and a darker throat; the juvenile has a pale rufous back, no dark head and uniformly beige underparts.

Voice

Within the flock, it communicates with short whistles, “kitty-kitty-kitty” notes and sharp chirping alarm calls.

Similar species

Tricolored Munia

The juvenile Scaly-breasted Munia has pale rufous upperparts, lacks the adult’s dark head and has uniformly creamy-yellow underparts; it may be confused with a juvenile Tricolored Munia.

Where and when it's recorded

Busiest months: October–November · Most records: India, China, United States

Scaly-breasted Munia has been recorded at 1,900 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 46 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Madrona MarshUnited States4,996 records
GKVK CampusIndia4,739 records
IRWD San Joaquin Marsh & Wildlife Sanctuary, IrvineUnited States4,252 records

More places

Huntington Central Park – EastUnited States4,151 records
Saul Kere / Sowl KereIndia2,950 records
Taipei – Tianliaoyang WetlandTaiwan (China)2,862 records
Frank G. Bonelli RP/Puddingstone Reservoir and vicinityUnited States2,810 records
Lake Los Carneros ParkUnited States2,544 records
Taipei – National Taiwan University Main CampusTaiwan (China)2,531 records
Laguna LakeUnited States2,367 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India China United States Thailand Australia Sri Lanka Singapore Cambodia

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 scaly-breasted munia or spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata), known in the pet trade as nutmeg mannikin or spice finch, is a sparrow-sized estrildid finch native to tropical Asia. A species of the genus Lonchura, it was formally described and named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Its name is based on the distinct scale-like feather markings on the breast and belly.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Scaly-breasted Munia?

The Scaly-breasted Munia is about 11–12 cm long and weighs around 14 g.

Where does the Scaly-breasted Munia live?

Its breeding range: Oriental, Australasia: northeastern Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka to eastern China, Taiwan (China), Philippines, Greater Sundas, Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas. It is most often recorded in India, China and United States.

When is the best time to see the Scaly-breasted Munia?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in October and November (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Scaly-breasted Munia endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Scaly-breasted Munia as Least Concern.

What does the Scaly-breasted Munia eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the Scaly-breasted Munia in?

It belongs to the family Waxbills, Munias & Allies (Estrildidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: 11–12 cm
Weight: 14 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Resident (barely migrates)
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 53 mm
Tail: 39 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 14 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Oriental, Australasia: northeastern Afghanistan, India, Sri Lanka to eastern China, Taiwan (China), Philippines, Greater Sundas, Sulawesi and Lesser Sundas

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 2

Lonchura punctulata yunnanensis se Tibet, sw China and n Myanmar
Lonchura punctulata topela s Myanmar, Thailand, se China, Taiwan (China), Hainan and Indochina