Photo © by Joseph Morlan
Rabaul, East New Britain, Papua New Guinea, 16 September 2019
Alternative name: Hooded Munia
- Lonchura spectabilis
Identification
Photo © by djringer
Ukarumpa, Eastern Highlands Province, Papua New Guinea, 3 October 2006
10 cm (4 in)
Adult has glossy black hood. Underparts are brown. Underparts are creamy-white or rich cinnamon (L. s. wahgiensis). Rump is golden yellow-orange. Tail and undertail coverts are black. Juvenile is pale buffy brown with streaked head. Immature gradually acquires black hood. Sexes alike.
Distribution
Endemic to New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago.
Taxonomy
This is a polytypic species.
Subspecies
Five subspecies provisionally recognized[1]:
- L. s. wahgiensis: Central and s highlands of New Guinea
- L. s. gajduseki: New Guinea (Karimui basin and e highlands)
- L. s. mayri: New Guinea (Cyclops Mountains and lowlands of Hollandia)
- L. s. sepikensis: NE New Guinea (East Sepik Province)
- L. s. spectabilis: Bismarck Archipelago (New Britain, Long and Umboi)
Most authors recognize only three subspecies merging L. s. sepikensis with L. s. mayri and L. s. gajduseki with L. s. wahgiensis.
Habitat
Foothills and mid-montane grassland.
Behaviour
Diet
Mostly seeds, including introduced itchgrass (Rottboellia exaltata).
Breeding
An oval nest made of grasses, straw, stems and fibres is placed in a bush or grasses. 5-6 eggs are laid.
Vocalisation
Soft nasal contact calls. Song is a series of staccato notes interspersed with clicks and long whistles.
Movements
Mostly resident but locally nomadic.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Clement, P., A. Harris, and J. Davis. (1993). Finches and Sparrows: An Identification Guide. Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, N. J.
- Gregory, P. (2017) Birds of New Guinea, Including Bismarck Archipelago and Boughainville. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona.
- Payne, R. (2019). Hooded Mannikin (Lonchura spectabilis). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/61208 on 11 November 2019).
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Hooded Mannikin. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 6 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Hooded_Mannikin
