The pictorella mannikin, pictorella munia, or pictorella finch (Heteromunia pectoralis) is small brown and grey finch with a grey bill and distinctive scaly white breast plate which is endemic to northern Australia.
Not listed
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatInhabits dry grasslands and edges of wetlands across northern Australia, including spinifex, and sometimes wanders far from core range.
Best timeMost reliable in Western Australia from April to July.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Nigel Jackett
Range map
Range map
552visible hotspots
3087visible records
3states
Low confidenceMediumHigh confidence
Aggregated occurance data is sourced from 14 different actively-updating datasets including eBird Australia, iNaturalist Australia, BirdLife Australia, and multiple state-based bird surveys through Atlas of Living Australia.
Species notes
Overview
Juveniles very plain brown, with faint outline of adult's mask. Gives a distinctive “teet” in flight or sparrow-like chip note.
Gallery
Regional timing
Queensland
Northern Territory
Western Australia
Commonly confused with
Painted FiretailEmblema pictumMale with bright red face, female with red around eye. Cherry red rump obvious in flight.→Crimson FinchNeochmia phaetonBirds in New Guinea and Cape York with white belly, those elsewhere in Australia with black. Female duller, with only red face. Juvenile mostly brownish with dark bill but note long tail. Star Finch has shorter tail, greener plumage.→Masked FinchPoephila personataJuveniles similar but duller, with dark bill. Long tail but lacks the long streamers of similar Long-tailed Finch, with which Masked is sometimes found.→