That Bird Blog – Bird Care and History for Pet Birds

Also known as Tri-Colored and Black-Headed Nuns or Mannikins (Lonchura Malacca and L. atricapilla), these pert little birds make excellent pets for both beginning and advanced finch keepers.  While neither sports the flashy colors of certain related species, contrasting black, chestnut and white plumage renders them quite striking.

Natural History

The 5-inch-long Tri-Colored Munia is found in southern India and Sri Lanka.  It is most common in and near swamps, flooded meadows, riversides, rice fields and other moist, open habitats.

The Black-Headed Munia was long considered to be a subspecies of the Tri-Colored, but has now been designated as a distinct species.  However, captives interbreed readily, and will also pair up with related finches. Its natural range, which lies north and east-southeast of the Tri-Color’s, extends from northern India through southern China, Thailand and Vietnam.  It tops out at 4.5 inches in length. Read More »

When ornithologists use the term “finch”, they are usually referring to birds in the Family Fringillidae.  However, the “finches” kept by pet owners are more often of the Family Estrildidae – the waxbills, weavers and sparrows.  Today we’ll take a closer look at the Family Fringillidae, the True Finches.

Classification and Range

The 140+ species of True Finches range across all continents except Antarctica and Australia.  The most commonly-kept birds in this family are the Bullfinch and the European Goldfinch.  The American Goldfinch, is a close relative and, in captivity, interbreeds with its European cousin.  Most True Finches are classified within the Subfamily Carduelinae. They nest solitarily and defend only the area around the nest.  Mated pairs forage with others in loose flocks.  Read More »