Chirpy Chestnut Munia

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A Chestnut Munia holds seeds in its beak. — Photos by Jannie Tan

A FLOCK of small chestnut-coloured birds flitted amongst the tall waving grass. The bird at the back of the flock flew over the ones at the front and feasted on the grass seeds.

Meanwhile all the birds were hopping over each other across the grass wasteland. It was a wasteland only in the human context because it lacked buildings, but in reality it was a thriving conglomerate of natural ecosystems in an urban environment.

The birds called ‘tink’, ‘tink’ as they flitted and jumped across the field. The tiny Chestnut Munia (Lonchura malacca) is probably the most frequently seen munia in Malaysia. Munias are members of the order Passeriformes, which contains 386 species worldwide including, for example, sparrows, flowerpeckers and sunbirds.

Munias are members of the Esterildidae family, of which there are 41 species in the world.

Of these, 12 are found in Borneo, including three species only found in Borneo on the island.

Chestnut Munias do not migrate, but large social flocks are constantly on the move looking for grass seeds.

These urban reminders of the natural world are frequently seen along roadsides and other areas where grass has been allowed to grow tall and go to seed including damp grasslands.

In the countryside, they flock to the roadsides, fallow fields and unfortunately paddy fields. They have been known to descend on paddy fields (rice is a member of the grass family) and farmers are constantly on the lookout when the rice is almost ready for harvest.

They can be found up to an altitude of 1,650 metres.

Their bluish grey conical shaped beaks are designed to for eating grass seeds. However the identifying feature of this small 11-centimetre bird is its chestnut plumage, black head, upper throat and upper breast.

To the untrained birder, it looks like it has a black helmet and chestnut brown body. Its distinctive colouring does make it easy to recognise. The dull brown young are less extravagantly coloured.

The nest of Chestnut Munias is a ball of dried grass strung on long grasses or low bushes close to the ground.

They roost in the old nests at night.

They are also a common resident in Singapore with a range extending from South China to Taiwan and throughout Southeast Asia from Malaysia, to the Philippines, to the Indonesian islands of Java and Bali.

The common Chestnut Munia is not in danger of extinction, but that does not make it less valuable or remarkable. It is able to make its home in grassy urban areas, it reminds us of the natural world beyond the glass and steel of cities and the power of nature of adapt.

For more information about Chestnut Munias or other birds of Sarawak read ‘Phillipps’ Field Guide to the Birds of Borneo’ by Quentin Phillipps and Karan Phillipps.

The Malaysian Nature Society
Established in the 1940, the Malaysian Nature Society is the oldest scientific and non-governmental organisation in Malaysia. Our mission is ‘to promote the study, appreciation, conservation and protection of Malaysia’s nature heritage’. Our 5,000-strong membership, spread across 12 branches nationwide, come from all walks of life, bound by a common interest in nature. For further information on membership or our activities in Kuching, call Kwan on 019-8349499. For information on our activities in Miri, call Nazeri Abghani on 085-453185. You can also visit www.mns.org.my or http://[email protected].