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Adult and juvenile Scaly-breasted Munias feeding on Siglap Grass seeds

on 26th June 2018

I do not mow my lawn. I simply remove the taller grasses and other weeds, leaving behind Siglap Grass (Zoysia matrella) which is a creeping grass with short, pointy flowering/fruiting stalks. The fruiting stalks attract munias during the cool of the evening. They also appear just after the evening rain. These are skittish birds and they need to get used to you or else they fly off whenever you appear. They are now more or less used to my presence.

Scaly-breasted Munias – adult left, juvenile right.

I got a visit by six Scaly-breasted Munias (Lonchura punctulata) regularly now-a-days – four adults and two juveniles. Previously there were no juveniles. These are brownish birds. The adults, as the name implies, have scaly breast, not so the juveniles.

They turned their head sideways, manoeuvre the fruiting stalk between the mandibles to detach the seeds. Or they simply pick at the seeds. At the same time they managed to get rid of the husk before swallowing the seeds.

YC Wee
Singapore
18th April 2018

If you like this post please tap on the Like button at the left bottom of page. Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the authors/contributors, and are not endorsed by the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM, NUS) or its affiliated institutions. Readers are encouraged to use their discretion before making any decisions or judgements based on the information presented.

YC Wee

Dr Wee played a significant role as a green advocate in Singapore through his extensive involvement in various organizations and committees: as Secretary and Chairman for the Malayan Nature Society (Singapore Branch), and with the Nature Society (Singapore) as founding President (1978-1995). He has also served in the Nature Reserve Board (1987-1989), Nature Reserves Committee (1990-1996), National Council on the Environment/Singapore Environment Council (1992-1996), Work-Group on Nature Conservation (1992) and Inter-Varsity Council on the Environment (1995-1997). He is Patron of the Singapore Gardening Society and was appointed Honorary Museum Associate of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum (LKCNHM) in 2012. In 2005, Dr Wee started the Bird Ecology Study Group. With more than 6,000 entries, the website has become a valuable resource consulted by students, birdwatchers and researchers locally and internationally. The views and opinions expressed in this article are his own, and do not represent those of LKCNHM, the National University of Singapore or its affiliated institutions.

Other posts by YC Wee

3 Responses

  1. One of my favourite birds! They are cute and plump (especially the juveniles) and make sweet chirping sounds when in a group. After I had wild grasses grow in my flower pots and seed, these munias came along. One question: why are the juveniles bigger and fatter compared to the adults? Do they “shrink” after they reach maturity?

  2. Are juvenile birds fatter than adults? The answer often is YES! Though I assume that the juveniles would have the same measurements as adults in terms of the length of various body parts, it has been recorded by both ornithologists and aviculturalists that juvenile birds are often heftier in girth, and weigh more. Such an observation has been made with regard to many species – from penguins to munias.
    There is a good reason for this. The period immediately after young birds separate from their parents is particularly stressful. The youngsters are not skilled in foraging or hunting, and would often go hungry. Their parents therefore stuff them well to ensure that they are fat and have the reserves to tide themselves over this difficult time.
    I might also add that the exertions of feeding their hungry brood can cause the parents to lose weight, become run-down and appear smaller than their offspring. They often need a period of rest and good food to recover.

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