Pale gray head contrasts with dark brown back and wings, underparts pale buff, and rump and tail dark yellowish tone.
Not listed
Endemic to Australia
Indigenous: Yellow-Rumped Munia
At a glance
FamilyWaxbills and Allies
SizeSmall
RarityUncommon
HabitatFound in areas with tall grass, often in flocks beside rivers or floodplains, sometimes mixed with other seed-eating species.
Best timeMost reliable in Northern Territory from July to October.
Sounds
Sound sampleRecorded by Pieter de Groot Boersma
Range map
Range map
86visible hotspots
1329visible 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
Juvenile 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).
Behavior
Found in areas with tall grass, often in flocks beside rivers or floodplains, sometimes mixed with other seed-eating species.
Gallery
Regional timing
Northern Territory
Western Australia
New South Wales
Commonly confused with
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.→Pictorella MuniaHeteromunia pectoralisJuveniles very plain brown, with faint outline of adult's mask. Gives a distinctive “teet” in flight or sparrow-like chip note.→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.→