Scaly-breasted munia: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the scaly-breasted munia lives – recorded in 35 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Lonchura punctulata
Group	Songbirds & perching birds
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	35 countries
Continents	Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania
Mass	1.15 g (birth weight); 14 g (adult weight)
Class	Bird
Order	Passeriformes
Family	Estrildidae

Where does the scaly-breasted munia live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the scaly-breasted munia in 35 countries and territories across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and Oceania. Wikidata gives its range as: Nanling Mountains, Africa, Indonesia, Mainland Southeast Asia, India, Malaysia, Philippines. In United Arab Emirates, Australia, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Oman it is listed as introduced (GRIIS checklists via GBIF).

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

How big is a scaly-breasted munia?

Wikidata records the following for the scaly-breasted munia: mass 1.15 g (birth weight); 14 g (adult weight).

Is the scaly-breasted munia endangered?

The scaly-breasted munia’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the scaly-breasted munia?

The scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) is a bird in the order Passeriformes and the family Estrildidae, genus Lonchura. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the scaly-breasted munia

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. The adult is brown above and has a dark conical bill. The species has 11 subspecies across its range, which differ slightly in size and colour.

This munia eats mainly grass seeds apart from berries and small insects. They forage in flocks and communicate with soft calls and whistles. The species is highly social and may sometimes roost with other species of munias. This species is found in tropical plains and grasslands. Breeding pairs construct dome-shaped nests using grass or bamboo leaves.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Scaly-breasted munia (revision 1367060679), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q36197 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).