Munias, Parrotfinches, Waxbills, and Allies
Tricolored Munia
Lonchura malacca
- Family
- Munias, Parrotfinches, Waxbills, and Allies (Estrildidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The tricoloured munia (Lonchura malacca) is an estrildid finch, native to Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and southern China. The species has also been introduced to the Caribbean, in Trinidad, Jamaica, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, Cuba, and Venezuela. This species, like the chestnut munia has been known as the black-headed munia. Immature birds have pale brown upperparts, lack the dark head found in adults, and have uniform buff underparts that can be confused with immatures of other munias such as the scaly-breasted munia.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Peninsular India and Sri Lanka; introduced widely in Caribbean and northern South America.
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Continents
Countries
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Tricoloured munia
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.