Black-breasted Munia Lonchura teerinki Scientific name definitions

10–11 cm. Male nominate race has forehead blackish shading to dark brown on crown and hindneck, brown to cinnamon-brown on upperparts, rump and uppertail-coverts yellow, tail dark brown with yellow feather edges; face and chin to breast black, abdomen white, side of lower breast and flanks with blotches of black or black and light brown in irregular band (black unbroken on older males), undertail-coverts and thighs black; iris dark brown, narrow eyering dark grey; bill large, blue-grey; legs dark grey. Female is similar to male, but face and breast duller black, flanks black with patches of brown and white. Juvenile is grey-brown above, more rufous on rump and uppertail-coverts, breast and flanks buff, belly and undertail-coverts whitish, bill blue-grey; adult plumage gained by 6–7 months. Race mariae has upperparts darker grey-brown than nominate.

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Editor's Note: Additional distribution information for this taxon can be found in the 'Subspecies' article above. In the future we will develop a range-wide distribution article.

Mid-mountain grasslands, old gardens, weedy fields, cultivated fields near villages, clearings at edge of scrub-forest; at 1200–2200 m.

Resident.

Seeds of grasses, weeds and small shrubs. Takes seeds while clinging to stem and seeding heads; feeds on fallen seeds on ground. Few other data. Seen to forage in flocks.

Contact call a soft, clear and bell-like "tseep", and a loud "tcheep", differing between sexes; group maintains a constant twittering; a rising "twy". Song includes "hueet-hueet".

Few data; details include observations of captives. Courting male holds grass in bill, then drops it and begins song, perches upright, bows forward towards female and ruffles flank feathers; when further aroused, he swings and fluffs, and leans over her. Nest a large covered structure of grass. Clutch 3 eggs; incubation period 14–15 days; nestling skin pinkish, sparse white down on back, gape-flange blue (white at fledging) with black lining, palate pinkish-white with long black line and two black spots behind line, tongue yellowish-white with black ring and black tip, bill tip black; nestling period 21–24 days; young independent in 2–3 weeks.

Not globally threatened. Restricted range species: present in Central Papuan Mountains EBA. Poorly known. Apparently uncommon to scarce. Trapped irregularly, in very small numbers, for cagebird trade; exported to Europe and USA.