Lonchura fringilloides
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The magpie mannikin or magpie munia (Spermestes fringilloides) is a species of estrildid finch, sparsely present across Sub-Saharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,400,000 km2. It is found in subtropical/ tropical (lowland) moist shrubland, forest and dry grassland habitat. The status of the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
BirdLife Species Factsheet Magpie mannikin - Species text in The Atlas of Southern African Birds. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kibale National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 2 | Semuliki National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Bwindi Impenetrable National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Mannikin sighting in Durban on a given day, based on 9 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 186th most-seen of the 219 birds we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to under 5%, and over a week to about 10%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Magpie Mannikin in Durban on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
Between 3 and 6 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Magpie Mannikin sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Magpie Mannikin sightings, Durban has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Kampala (Uganda, under 5%).
Same genus: Lonchura
The closest relatives of the Magpie Mannikin that you can see in Durban (genus Lonchura, Typical Munias and Mannikins) are Bronze Mannikin (about 60%), Brown-backed Munia (about 10%) and Black-and-white Mannikin (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Magpie Mannikin is recorded against all the birds logged in Durban (9 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
