Common Birds of India

Common Birds of India Spotted Munia.( Lonchura punctulata). By - Ragoo Rao I have chosen the Spotted Munia bird this month because the nesting season is on and our members and site visitors could locate the birds and perhaps study the birds nesting and brood rearing behavior a little more. As the name suggests the sparrow sized bird which has brown upper parts and white under parts with black blotches, is a common sight in open fields and home gardens. One can hardly feel the presence of the bird unless their gentle and low Chie...chip...chie...singing is heard. Both the sexes look alike. The distribution is throughout India except for the arid regions of Punjab and parts of Rajasthan. The spotted munia chooses open country with cultivated fields. They sometimes will be groups of a few hundred birds. They fly about foraging on grass seeds and grains with disorganized grouping and undulating flying pattern. Basically grain eaters, they also relish the winged termites. Only one or two pairs could be found in home gardens. The nesting season is mainly from July to early October. The nest is built in small thorny trees in the fields and inside the creepers in home gardens. Often group of nests can be found in a single shrub, in open fields. The nest is an oblong mass of dried grass blades with an entrance hole. In home gardens if one finds a munia with a blade of grass in its beaks, its a sure indication of a nest nearby. Both sexes share nest building work. Four to six or sometimes even eight eggs are laid and both parents share all domestic chores. The young fledglings hang around the nesting area itself for some time and then fly out to be on their own. A very sober, quiet lovable bird, the munia can be enticed into home gardens by proving a bird feeder with grains like Bajra and other small millets. A water trough in the garden invites a lot of other birds also.

Spotted Munia.( Lonchura punctulata).

I have chosen the Spotted Munia bird this month because the nesting season is on and our members and site visitors could locate the birds and perhaps study the birds nesting and brood rearing behavior a little more.

As the name suggests the sparrow sized bird which has brown upper parts and white under parts with black blotches, is a common sight in open fields and home gardens. One can hardly feel the presence of the bird unless their gentle and low Chie...chip...chie...singing is heard. Both the sexes look alike. The distribution is throughout India except for the arid regions of Punjab and parts of Rajasthan.

The spotted munia chooses open country with cultivated fields. They sometimes will be groups of a few hundred birds. They fly about foraging on grass seeds and grains with disorganized grouping and undulating flying pattern. Basically grain eaters, they also relish the winged termites. Only one or two pairs could be found in home gardens.

The nesting season is mainly from July to early October. The nest is built in small thorny trees in the fields and inside the creepers in home gardens. Often group of nests can be found in a single shrub, in open fields. The nest is an oblong mass of dried grass blades with an entrance hole. In home gardens if one finds a munia with a blade of grass in its beaks, its a sure indication of a nest nearby. Both sexes share nest building work. Four to six or sometimes even eight eggs are laid and both parents share all domestic chores.

The young fledglings hang around the nesting area itself for some time and then fly out to be on their own. A very sober, quiet lovable bird, the munia can be enticed into home gardens by proving a bird feeder with grains like Bajra and other small millets. A water trough in the garden invites a lot of other birds also.

Indian Wildlife Club Ezine (August, 2005)

Common Birds of India

Spotted Munia.( Lonchura punctulata).