Pale-headed Munia Lonchura pallida Scientific name definitions

11 cm; 12 g. Head is pale creamy white, nape greyish, mantle to back, upperwing and tail dark brown, rump and uppertail-coverts rufous-brown; throat and breast grey, belly and flanks light rufous, central belly and undertail-coverts brown; iris dark brown, eyering grey; bill pale blue-grey; legs grey. Sexes alike. Juvenile has head and back uniformly brown, wings and tail brown, belly pale buff, legs paler grey than adult's; bill blackish, soon changing to blue-grey.

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C & S Sulawesi, Kalaotoa, Madu, and Lesser Sundas (Lombok E to Wetar, Romang, Kisar, Sermata and Babar, S to Sumba, Sawu, Ndao, Roti and Timor).

Open grassland, rice paddies and grassy scrub; sea-level to 1000 m.

Resident.

Grass seeds , rice. Takes both growing seeds on stems and fallen seeds on the ground. Forages in small to large flocks, up to 200 individuals, occasionally singly or in pairs; often in mixed flocks with L. malacca.

Loud contact call of male "pseet!", of female "psit!". Song a chatter with high-pitched "weeeeeeeee".

Breeds throughout year in Palu Valley, in Sulawesi. In display, male holds a straw, bows low, turns towards female, bobs up and down, he sings, stretches neck upwards and tilts head downwards and from side to side, and, when a female attracted, he takes a more upright posture, moves closer, sings, and bobs up and down; in full display he draws himself erect, head and body plumage fluffed, and head held forward when he bobs. Nest a covered structure, entrance hole with porch, made from grass and stems, lined with fine stems. Clutch 4–6 eggs; incubation period 14–16 days; nestling skin pink and naked, swollen blue gape (changing to white by day 10) bordered with black, palate pale yellow with black arc, tongue unmarked, short sublingual mark; nestling period 20–22 days; young independent 2–3 weeks after leaving nest.

Not globally threatened. Locally common to abundant in much of range; uncommon and local on Sumba. Locally very common along N coast of Flores, where otherwise rather uncommon. Range probably expanding locally on Sulawesi as increasing areas of suitable habitat become available. Presence on Timor apparently overlooked for many years. Record of three individuals at Ashmore Reef (S of Roti, I, off W Timor) in Feb 2000 and unconfirmed report of two there in Jan–Feb 2003; origin uncertain, but possibly vagrants.