Bismarck Munia
Lonchura melaena
A handsome small finch that appears very dark with a bright white belly patch. Head and chest black, back rich hazelnut brown, tail golden-orange. Undertail very black. Flanks scaled black-and-white. Found in most patches of tall grass up to 1200 meters of elevation. Other munias occur in the same areas, but Bismarck’s bold color patterns make for simple identification. Most common call is a chorus of soft “peep” and “see” notes, but overall relatively quiet.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lonchura melaena
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1880)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Lonchura
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
Streaked Barwing
Actinodura souliei
Rusty brown with a silvery gray head and thick black streaks all over the body. Relatively short-tailed for a barwing. Uncommon to rare inhabitant of mid- to high-altitude moist evergreen forests. Social; frequently found in small flocks and as a part of mixed species flocks. Gives a somewhat nasal “kyow-kyow-kyow-kyow.”
Hispaniolan Spindalis
Spindalis dominicensis
A somewhat small woodland bird that moves rather deliberately as it feeds on fruits and flowers and the occasional insect. Occupies wide range of forests from pines to mangroves. Brilliant male looks like a sunrise with a black-and-white head; no truly similar species on Hispaniola. Females head pattern is a dull version of the males, but note streaking below. Calls are a high and thin single “tsee” or rapid “tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi.”
Spectacled Prickletail
Siptornis striaticollis
Small, brown bird of Andean cloud forest. Quite rare and apparently absent from many areas of seemingly appropriate forest. It has faint, pale streaking on the breast, a partial eye-ring, and a short white stripe behind the eye. Similar to Streaked Xenops, but bill is not upturned and lacks “whisker” stripes. Creeps along branches in middle levels of the forest, and often follows mixed-species flocks. Song is a quick series of high-pitched “tick” notes.
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