White-headed munia explained
The white-headed munia (Lonchura maja) is a species of estrildid finch found in Teladan, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. This species is also introduced to Portugal. It is found in wetlands habitat. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Taxonomy
The white-headed munia was formally described in 1766 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the twelfth edition of his Systema Naturae under the binomial name Loxia maja.[1] Linnaeus cited George Edwards's "The Malacca Gros-beak" and Mathurin Jacques Brisson's "Le Maia de la Chine".[2] [3] The English naturalist John Ray used the word "Maia" for a Cuban bird in 1768.[4] [5] Linnaeus specified the locality as East India. This was amended to Malacca in 1924.[6] The white-headed munia is now placed in the genus Lonchura that was introduced by the English naturalist William Henry Sykes in 1832.[7] [8] It is treated as monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.[8]
Description
Smallish (11 cm), white headed brown finch. Similar to the chestnut munia but paler brown and entire head and throat white. Young birds are brown on upperparts with underparts and face buff. Iris-brown; bill-grey; feet-pale blue. Voice: high-pitched 'pee-pee'.
Distribution and status
Malay peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali and Celebes. In Java and Bali this is a fairly common and widespread bird up to 1500 m.
Behaviour
It frequents marshes and reedbeds. Like other munias form large flocks during rice harvest but spread out in pairs during breeding season. General behaviour similar to other munias.
Feeding
Rice and Grass seeds.
Breeding
Four to five, occasionally six, white eggs are laid in a typical munia ball-shaped grass nest. Breeding is recorded in West Java for February.
References
Notes and References
- Book: Linnaeus, Carl . Carl Linnaeus . 1766 . Systema naturae : per regna tria natura, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis . 12th . 1, Part 1 . Laurentii Salvii . Holmiae (Stockholm) . Latin . 301 .
- Book: Edwards, George . George Edwards (naturalist) . 1760 . Gleanings of Natural History, exhibiting figures of quadrupeds, birds, insects, plants &c... . English, French . Part 2 . London . Printed for the author, at the College of Physicians . 202 Plate 306 fig. 1 .
- Book: Brisson, Mathurin Jacques . Mathurin Jacques Brisson . 1760 . Ornithologie, ou, Méthode Contenant la Division des Oiseaux en Ordres, Sections, Genres, Especes & leurs Variétés . 3 . French, Latin . 212-213, Plate 9 fig. 2 . Paris . Jean-Baptiste Bauche .
- Book: Willughby, Francis . Francis Willughby . Ray . John . John Ray . 1678 . The Ornithology of Francis Willughby of Middleton in the County of Warwick . London . John Martyn . 386 .
- Book: Jobling, James A. . 2010. The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names . Christopher Helm . London . 978-1-4081-2501-4 . 238 .
- Book: Paynter . Raymond A. Jr . 1968 . Check-List of Birds of the World . 14 . Museum of Comparative Zoology . Cambridge, Massachusetts . 381 .
- Sykes . William Henry . William Henry Sykes . 1832 . Catalogue of birds of the raptorial and insessorial orders (systematically arranged,) observed in the Dukhun . Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London . 2 . 18 . 77–99 [94] .
- Web site: Gill . Frank . Frank Gill (ornithologist) . Donsker . David . Rasmussen . Pamela . Pamela Rasmussen . July 2021 . Waxbills, parrotfinches, munias, whydahs, Olive Warbler, accentors, pipits . IOC World Bird List Version 11.2 . International Ornithologists' Union . 16 July 2021 .
