Its red face, yellow belly, and densely spotted breast make adult birds distinctive within large finch flocks.
VIC: Extinct
Endemic to Australia
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatTall grassland, reedbeds, and vegetation around wetlands across tropical northwestern Australia.
Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from June to July.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Tom Hunt
Range map
Range map
5approx hotspots
2458approx 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
Often found in very large flocks in grasslands and reedbeds of northeastern Western Australia and northwestern Northern Territory; rarer in Darwin/Kakadu region.
Behavior
Feeds on grass seeds in flocks, gathering around reedbeds and waterholes and moving as local water and seed supplies change.
Gallery
Regional timing
Northern Territory
Queensland
Western Australia
New South Wales
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
Commonly confused with
Pictorella MuniaHeteromunia pectoralisJuveniles very plain brown, with faint outline of adult's mask. Gives a distinctive “teet” in flight or sparrow-like chip note.→Yellow-rumped MuniaLonchura flaviprymnaJuvenile very plain, easily confused with juvenile Chestnut-breasted (which has less uniform upperparts) or Pictorella Munia (which has shadow pattern of dark ear coverts, recalling adult’s).→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.→