Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Latin Name: Lonchura castaneothorax
Other Names: Barley Bird, Barley Sparrow, Bullfinch, Bullie, Chestnut Finch, Chestnut Breasted Finch, Chestnut Breasted Munia

Identification Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Male: solid brownish finch with black face, grey crown and heavy grey bill. Chestnut breast divided from white abdomen by heavy black bar. Golden-brown rump and tail. Female: paler. Size 10-11.5 cm. Juv. dark bill; olive-brown above, buff below.

Voice Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Call: Bell like 'teet' or 'tit' in contact. Song: Long (12 seconds) toneless phrase of four spaced segments: clicks, harsh notes in two series, whistles at end.

Habitat Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Reed beds, rank grass. During the late Autumn and Winter congregates in large flocks. Food: Seeds of grasses.

Distribution Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Tropical northern Australia and eastern Australia (mainly coastal) to the Sydney district.

Nest Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Bulky, oval, with a side entrance, composed of dried grasses interwoven, and lined with finer grasses; placed in a low bush, in a tuft of tall grass, or among a growth of weeds.

Breeding Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
Breeding Season: September to April. Eggs: Four to eight; white. Incubation 14 days, by both sexes. Young fledge in about 21days.

Breeders Price Guide (Aviary bred pairs) Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
$20 to $30

Aviary Licence Requirements in Qld Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
No licence required.

Aviary Notes Chestnut Breasted Mannikin
They are best kept in an aviary with an open flight. They will use a variety of artificial nests. Pair bonding is strong and is hard to bring in a new mate. They are a hardy bird and will not mix well in an aviary of small seed eaters because they have a tendency to be aggressive a interfere with other birds They can be kept as a pair or as a colony.

Australian Field Guides

The Field Guide To The Birds Of Australia - Graham Pizzey & Frank Knight Save 33%

Field Guide To Australian Birds - Michael Morcombe Save 22%

What Bird Is That? - Neville Cayley

Simpson & Day Field Guide To The Birds Of Australia - Ken Simpson

The Slater Field Guide To Australian Birds - Peter Slater

Photographic Field Guide To Birds Of Australia - Jim Flegg

Australian Birds: A Concise Photographic Field Guide - Donald & Molly Trounson

A Photographic Guide To Birds Of Australia Peter Rowland