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Pictorella Mannikin (Heteromunia pectoralis) Alternate name(s): "Pictorella Finch", "White-breasted Finch", "Pictorella Munia" Size: 11-12 cm

Australia: Family Group 24 Family Group 24 Table Horsfield's Bushlark Australian Pipit Eastern Yellow Wagtail Citrine Wagtail Grey Wagtail White Wagtail Zebra Finch Double-barred Finch Long-tailed Finch Black-throated Finch Masked Finch Crimson Finch Plum-headed Finch Pictorella Mannikin Chestnut-breasted Mannikin Yellow-rumped Mannikin Blue-faced Parrot-Finch Diamond Firetail Beautiful Firetail Red-eared Firetail Painted Finch Star Finch Red-browed Finch Gouldian Finch Thumbnails page Family group table Index of bird names Habitat pages Key plants Birds Australi home page

Similar species

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

Physical description Click here for a physical description Pictorella Mannikins are small finches. Their plumage is dimorphic, i.e., males and females are slightly different. Both sexes have a dark facial mask, a lighter bib and an otherwise greyish-brown front. The facial mask is surrounded by a narrow chestnut fringe, above which the crown, nape of the neck, the back and the tail are greyish. Males have a black facial mask and an almost all-white bib with some vermiculation, whereas females have a dark-brown facial mask and a black-and-white barred bib. The irises are brown, while the strong conical bill is grey. The legs and feet are grey. Juvenile birds have duller colours, in particular a less conspicuous facial mask.

Taxonomy, classification See Pictorella 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 Pictorella Mannikin is available HERE . Pictorella Mannikins populate, apart from some coastal areas in north-western WA, the inland parts of tropical northern Australia, northward of a line connecting Exmouth, WA, with Mackay, QLD. They are not found on Cape York peninsula and in the eastern part of the Top End of the NT (Arnhemland and surrounds). Pictorella Mannikins have a preference for tropical (mostly dry) woodland and grassland.

Sightings Click here for sighting information P. Brown reports spotting Pictorella Mannikins at Lake Argyle, near Kunnunurra, WA, which is on the south-western edge of their range, in April 2018. P. Brown also found a Pictorella Mannikin at Coomalie Creek, 90 km south of Darwin, NT, in June 2018. This location is near the northern edge of their range. M. Eaton reports finding a large number of Pictorella Mannikins at a waterhole about 100 km west of Timber Creek, NT, in July 2020.

Photos

ADULT

PAIR

Many bird species exhibit sexual dimorphism, i.e., male and female have differing appearances which can be quite subtle.
Male Pictorella Mannikins, left, have a black face mask and a mostly white chest; females have a dark-brown face mask and a more black-infused, scalloped breast. Males have a rufous-grey helmet while that of females is grey.

Pair of Pictorella Mannikins with two juveniles on the left - male at the top, female next to the juveniles; also visible 3 Long-tailed Finches (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Pair of Pictorella Mannikins with a juvenile on the left; also visible: Zebra Finch and Diamond Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Pair of Pictorella Mannikins with two juveniles; also visible: Long-tailed Finch, Zebra Finch and Diamond Dove
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

MALE

Frontal view of a male Pictorella Mannikin looking sideways; note the black facial mask and the mostly white bib
(photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a male Pictorella Mannikin looking sideways (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

FEMALE

Close-up frontal view of a female Pictorella Mannikin; note the dark-brown (rather than black) facial mask and the prominent dark scalloping in the bib (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Frontal view of a female Pictorella Mannikin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Near-frontal view of a female Pictorella Mannikin, with a juvenile on the left (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a female Pictorella Mannikin (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Lateral view of a female Pictorella Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

Dorsal view of a female Pictorella Mannikin (photo courtesy of P. Brown)
[Lake Argyle, near Kununurra, WA, April 2018]

IMMATURE/JUVENILE

Near-lateral view of a female Pictorella Mannikin, right, with two juveniles (photo courtesy of M. Eaton)
[100 km W of Timber Creek, NT, July 2020]

Behaviour

Social behaviour: Communal

Mobility: Dispersive

Elementary unit: Mob/flock

Food, Diet

Pictorella Mannikins are seed eaters.

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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