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24

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin

(Lonchura castaneothorax)
Alternate name(s): "Chestnut-breasted Finch", "Chestnut-breasted Munia",
"Chestnut Finch", "Bullfinch*", "Barley-bird*"; misnomer: "Barley Sparrow*"

Size: 11-12 cm
Weight: 12-14 g

Similar
species

Description     Classification     Distribution     Sightings     Photos     Breeding     Nest     Eggs     Behaviour     Food     Call/s

Physical description

Click here for a physical description

Taxonomy, classification

See Chestnut-breasted Mannikin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species

Click here for information on habitat and range

Sightings

Click here for sighting information

Photos

Race "castaneothorax"

Not the photos you want? Or are you after even better quality? Have a look here .

ADULT

Sex unknown

Frontal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, October 2019]

Frontal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Frontal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin in tall grass (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2016]

Near-frontal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2009]

Near-frontal/ventral view of a preening Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, December 2019]

Near-lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of A. Ross-Taylor)
[Carrara, Gold Coast, QLD, November 2014]

Near-lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feasting on the seeds of tall grass (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Close-up near-lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Helidon STP, Lockyer Valley, QLD, February 2019]

Lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Cattana Wetlands, Cairns, QLD, October 2019]

Lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Anstead Reserve, Anstead, QLD, February 2022]

Close-up lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Helidon STP, Lockyer Valley, QLD, February 2019]

Lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Dorsal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, February 2009]

Dorsal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feasting on the seeds of tall grass (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Two views of the same Chestnut-breasted Mannikin - front and back (photos courtesy of P. Brown)
[Palmerston, NT, November 2017]

Lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin in slow flight (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Gordonvale, Cairns, QLD, July 2020]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Adult Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (left) with a second bird that is possibly still moulting into adult plumage
(photo courtesy of P. Griffin)
[Monaltrie, Lismore, NSW, June 2013]

Frontal view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Frontal view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2012]

Adult (front left) and juvenile (back right) Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2012]

Lateral view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Close-up lateral/ventral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Lateral/ventral view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, June 2018]

Near-dorsal view of a fledgling Chestnut-breasted Mannikin; note the yellow gape (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, February 2017]

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin "rookery" (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek Road, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Closer view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin "rookery" (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Buffalo Creek Road, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Breeding information

Breeding season: Sep - Apr Eggs: 4 - 6 Incubation period: 12 - 13 days Fledging age: 21 - 24 days

 

Given the right conditions, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins can breed any time of the year. They tend to nest in colonies.

Nest

"bungobittah", "lar", "malunna", "jindi" [bundjalung] = nest [Aboriginal]

Type: Dome Material: Dry grass Height above ground <2 m

 

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin peeking out of its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin peeking outside its nest (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Leanyer Swamp, Darwin, NT, March 2019]

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin nest near the top of tall reeds in a wetland (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Darwin, NT, January 2018]

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin collecting nesting material
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2013]

Eggs

"boyanga", "booyanga", "derinya", "dirandil", "koomura", "mirk", "ngampu", "nooluk", "pateena", "pum-pum" = Egg; "dirundirri" = eggs [Aboriginal]; "gawu" = eggs [gamilaraay]

Size: 17 x 12 mm Colour: White Shape: Tapered oval

 

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal Mobility: Dispersive Elementary unit: Small fLock

 

All species of finches known to us are highly sociable.

Food, Diet

Adults: Seeds Dependents: Regurgitated seeds Water intake: Daily

Like all other finches known to us, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins feed on seeds. These include grass seeds and seeds of reeds.

Frontal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on seeds of tall grass (photo courtesy of E. Scott)
[Roseberry Creek Valley, near Toonumbar NP, northern NSW, October 2016]

Frontal/ventral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on the seeds of reeds (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Near-lateral view of a moulting Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on the grass seeds (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[Hillview Court Reserve, Dayboro, QLD, April 2020]

Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on the seeds of reeds
[Urunga, NSW, August 2015]

Frontal view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin feeding on the seeds of reeds (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Casuarina Coastal Reserve, Darwin, NT, August 2019]

Mob of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, including juveniles, feeding on grass seeds (photo courtesy of A. Lee)
[East Russell, near Cairns, QLD, September 2020]

Part of a flock of Chestnut-breasted Mannikins foraging by the side of a road

Call(s)/Song

For this species we have recorded the following call(s)/song. The interpretation of their meaning is our own; comments and suggestions for improvement are welcome.

chbmann_pb_20180113.m4a castaneothorax
(Darwin, NT)
? © PB
chbmann_20150327.m4a castaneothorax
(NE NSW)
? © PB

More Chestnut-breasted Mannikin sound recordings are available at xeno-canto.org .

These pages are largely based on our own observations and those of our contributors. The structure of these bird pages is explained HERE. For more salient facts on any bird species please refer to a field guide.

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