Sea & Sage Audubon’s July Bird of the Month is the Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata), a tiny songbird that has become a familiar sight in Orange County over the past three decades.
Native to South and Southeast Asia, the Scaly-breasted Munia is not native to California. It is believed to have become established in Southern California through escaped or released pet birds and is now commonly found in brushy riparian habitats, grasslands, parks, and gardens. Highly social, these active little birds are often seen in noisy flocks, climbing grass stalks in search of seeds or foraging on the ground.
Adult munias are easy to recognize by their rich chocolate-brown upperparts, dark heads, stout black beaks, and distinctive pale underparts covered with scale-like markings that give the species its name. Juveniles are much plainer, lacking the characteristic “scaly” pattern and dark head.
One of the Scaly-breasted Munia’s most fascinating characteristics is its role as the primary host of another introduced bird, the Pin-tailed Whydah. Rather than building its own nest, the female whydah lays her eggs in an unattended munia nest. The unsuspecting munia parents incubate the eggs and raise the young whydahs alongside their own chicks. Even more remarkably, the young whydahs learn the munias’ songs and calls while being raised by their foster parents, and those learned vocalizations later influence their choice of mates.
Although the Scaly-breasted Munia is not part of California’s native bird community, its story offers a fascinating glimpse into how species adapt and establish themselves in new environments. It also reminds us that careful observation can reveal surprising relationships and behaviors, even among birds we see every day.
We extend our sincere thanks to Sea & Sage Audubon, Betty Kanne for compiling the text, and James Kendall for the beautiful photographs that accompany this month’s Bird of the Month.
Happy birding!