Bird guide · Lonchura punctulata
Scaly-breasted Munia
What the scaly-breasted munia eats, where it lives, when it comes to feeders and how to recognise it – with sightings from every US state.
- Season
- Year-round resident (introduced)
- Size
- 4.5 in (11.5 cm)
- Eats
- seeds
- Feeds
- ground
- Most common
- Hawaii, California, Alabama
Food
What do scaly-breasted munias eat?
At feeders, scaly-breasted munias take seeds.
Forages in flocks in dense low growth or on the ground.
Feeder that suits it
A low tray or platform feeder, or seed scattered on the ground below your feeder.
Range
Where do scaly-breasted munias live?
Coastal California, Houston, parts of the Gulf Coast, southern Florida and Hawaii. By share of all bird sightings, scaly-breasted munias are most common in Hawaii (1.1%).
States where scaly-breasted munias are most common
- Hawaii1.1%
- California0.2%
- Alabama0.1%
- Texas0.04%
- Mississippi0.04%
- Florida0.02%
- Louisiana0.01%
- Pennsylvania0.00%
- Georgia0.00%
- Nevada0.00%
Share of all bird sightings in each state that are scaly-breasted munias, 2019–2024.
Season
Does the scaly-breasted munia migrate?
Year-round resident (introduced). Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in October.
Share of all bird sightings in the US that are scaly-breasted munias, by month.
Identification
How to identify the scaly-breasted munia
Adults: Brown upperparts, dark brown head, stubby dark bill and a scaly-patterned breast.
Young birds: Pale brown, plain buff below.
Size: 4.5 in (11.5 cm)
On camera
Getting the scaly-breasted munia on a feeder camera
Most visits happen on the ground or on low trays. A camera feeder with a wide tray, placed low near cover, catches far more than a hanging tube.
Questions
Scaly-breasted Munia: questions
What do scaly-breasted munias eat?
At feeders, seeds.
Do scaly-breasted munias migrate?
Year-round resident (introduced). Across the US it is reported in every month; its share of bird sightings is highest in October.
Where do scaly-breasted munias live?
By share of all bird sightings, they are most common in Hawaii, California, Alabama, Texas, Mississippi. They are rare or absent in Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware.
What does a female scaly-breasted munia look like?
Similar; slightly paler underside and throat.
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