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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 Body mass: 12-14 g

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Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Chestnut-breasted Mannikins are small finches. They have a prominent dark-brown facial mask from the lores and the eyes to the ear coverts and the throat. The rest of the head is brownish-grey. The front is dominated by the chestnut-coloured breast, which is accentuated by a dark-brown chest band. The belly is creamy-white, with sides that are barred dark-brown on creamy-white. The vent, undertail and undertail coverts are dark-brown. The uppertail is cinnamon. The back is brown, with darker-brown flight feathers. Females are paler than males. The eyes have brown irises. The strong, wedge-shaped bill is silver-grey. The legs and feet are also grey. Juveniles have pale, buff to creamy colours, no barring or facial mask yet, and a darker, shorter bill.

Taxonomy, classification See Chestnut-breasted Mannikin at Wikipedia .

Range, habitat, finding this species Click here for information on habitat and range The overall distribution of this species can be assessed, and specific locations where birds have been spotted can be found, based on individual sighting reports submitted by birdwatchers to ebird.org . The global distribution of the Chestnut-breasted Mannikin is available HERE . Chestnut-breasted Mannikins occur naturally in eastern Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and Australia. There are introduced populations in French Polynesia and France. Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", are found along the North and East coast of the Australian continent and a few offshore islands. Their range extends from the Kimberley in WA, throughout the Top End of the NT, along the southern end of the Gulf of Carpentaria, all of Cape York peninsula, across all of eastern QLD (including the hill ranges of the Great Dividing Range and some part of the inland) into northern NSW, along the East coast up to about Woollongong. In NSW they are normally found only on the coastal fringe and in the ranges, and only rarely (in north-west NSW) on the western slopes or even the plains of the interior. However, in favourable circumstances they can extend their range a bit further inland across the entire length of the eastern seaboard. Chestnut-breasted Mannikins have a strong preference for tall grass or reeds, usually around freshwater lakes or other bodies of stagnant water. Where to look? How to find this species? In our experience, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins are not found anywhere far from water. A search for the species had best start around any type of fresh water habitat, preferably with tall reeds, such as cumbungi, where they are likely feeding on seeds in the seed heads.

Sightings Click here for sighting information Race "castaneothorax" Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", were first spotted by us in bullrushes surrounding Narrabri Lake, Narrabri, NSW, in February 2009. This location is on the western edge of the southern part of their range. Since then, Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", have been found by us at Narrabri Lake semi-regularly (usually only when the lake has water). They have also been found breeding there. Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", are found commonly by C. Hayne in the area of Moree, NSW, where they are also found breeding in autumn. In early October 2013, a flock of about 20 birds were found in reed beds bordering a wheat crop, 70 km West of Moree, in broadacre farming country (which is likely one of the farthest western locations in NSW where they have been found). Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", are reported to us regularly from (near-)coastal areas in the border region of north-eastern NSW with south-eastern QLD and further northward, along the QLD coastline. P. Brown reports spotting Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", semi-regularly in Palmerston and Darwin, NT, e.g. in Leanyer Swamp and in Casuarina Coastal Reserve. M. Eaton found Chestnut-breasted Mannikins, race "castaneothorax", at Lake Moondarra, near Mount Isa, QLD, in June 2025.

Photos

Race "castaneothorax"

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

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]

Close-up lateral view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Julatten, QLD, August 2023]

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]

Near-dorsal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin
[Narrabri Lake, NSW, March 2012]

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

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

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]

Frontal view of a Chestnut-breasted Mannikin on a barbed wire fence; in a twist of fate, this bird was only moments later killed by a Nankeen Kestrel (photo courtesy of J. Boettcher, FNQ Nature Tours)
[Mareeba, QLD, March 2024]

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]

Near-frontal view of a juvenile Chestnut-breasted Mannikin looking sideways
[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]

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: Mob/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]

Near-lateral view of a 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
[Near Urunga, NSW, August 2015]

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)	?	© MD

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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