Snow Mountain Munia Lonchura montana Scientific name definitions

11 cm. Male has forehead, forecrown and face to throat black, hindcrown brownish, nape to back brown, rump and uppertail-coverts pale yellow, tail feathers black with yellow edges; rear ear-coverts to lower throat and breast tawny-buff, belly white, flanks narrowly barred blackish, thighs, vent and undertail-coverts black; iris dark brown, eyering grey; bill pale grey; legs grey. Female is similar to male, but breast paler and yellower, black on top of head more restricted. Juvenile is brown above, face and throat dark brown, breast orange-tinged brown, belly and under­tail-coverts whitish, bill dark grey.

Snow Mts E to Mt Capella (in W Star Mts), in WC New Guinea.

Alpine grasslands and boggy grassland, edges of alpine shrubbery, mainly at 3200–3800 m; as low as 2130 m in Ilaga Valley, and as high as 4150 m in Oranje Mts.

No information; presumed resident.

Few data. Small seeds of grasses and herbs. Observed to forage in flocks of 6–20 individuals (in Aug–Sept).

Call  described as a series of "tyu" notes.

Nest built in grass, near water. No other information.

Not globally threatened. Restricted range species: present in Central Papuan Mountains EBA. Very poorly known. Probably locally common.