Hooded Munia
Lonchura spectabilis
A strikingly four-colored tiny finch. Head pitch black, back rich brown, breast and belly pure white, bill thick and silver. In the eastern highlands of Papua New Guinea, belly is grayish-orange. Found in any open grassland, scrub, or plain. Other munias occur in the same areas, but Hooded’s bold color patterns make for simple identification. Most common call is a chorus of soft “peep” and “see” notes.
Identification
The hooded mannikin is a small munia. It is whitish below, brown above and has a golden to orange rump. It is unlikely to be confused with other birds in its range. The juvenile is similar in appearance to the much larger in size juvenile great-billed mannikin L. grandis.<p>The hooded mannikin has eight recognized forms with only five subspecies that are recognized as follows:
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Lonchura spectabilis
- Authority
- (Sclater, PL, 1879)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Genus
- Lonchura
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Other Birds
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Hypsipetes mysticalis
A thrush-sized olive-colored songbird with a long, fairly heavy bill. Plumage uniform olive-green except for narrow yellow chin, yellow patch between the bill and the eye, and partial yellow eye-ring above the eye. Pairs or small groups occupy forest, degraded forest, edges, and plantations from sea level to foothills. Unmistakable; limited to the island of Buru. Song starts with several soft “pip” or “chek” notes, then explodes in a series of variable whistles, e.g. “WEE-WEE-WEE-WEK-pewee-pewee-WEE-WEE.” Calls include dry “chek” notes and rasping “chirrrik” calls.
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A unique, large desert lark. On the ground, plumage is unimpressive with spotted breast and overall sandy tones, but in flight a magnificent white-and-black pattern is exposed. Males are slightly brighter-patterned than females. Bill is long and downcurved. Constantly runs on its long legs. Breeds on sandy and stony plains and low hills. Resident or nomadic. Song is a beautiful ascending series on flutey whistles followed by a descending trill; often given in a dramatic vertical display flight.
Red-fronted Parrotlet
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Small parrot with short square tail. Mostly green with red forehead and shoulder. In flight, partially yellow underwings and yellow in tail are visible. Restricted range; prefers montane forests, where it forages inconspicuously in the canopy and is sometimes seen in pairs or small flocks in flight. Combination of small size and tail shape is distinctive in range. Feeds on fruit.
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