Lonchura castaneothorax
Silhouette: Ferran Sayol · PhyloPic
In 3 days <5% in a week ~10%
The chestnut-breasted mannikin (Lonchura castaneothorax), also known as the chestnut-breasted munia or bully bird (in Australia), is a small brown-backed munia with a black face and greyish crown and nape. It has a broad ferruginous breast bar above a white belly. The species' natural range includes Australia, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. It has also been introduced to French Polynesia and New Caledonia.
The chestnut-breasted mannikin has a total of six subspecies and seven forms. Not recognized as a valid subspecies by some authorities. Identification: Richer breast and cream ground color to belly and flanks. Identification: Distinctive black head with faint scalloping. Female is more noticeable than the male.
Identification: Brown scallops on the flanks and paler to straw on the upper tail-coverts. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Diego Zoo | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Australia Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Territory Wildlife Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Taronga Zoo | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Sea Life Sydney Aquarium | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 6 | Wild Life Sydney | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Chestnut-breasted Munia sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 160th most-seen of the 186 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 Chestnut-breasted Munia in Kakadu National Park on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season. February has too few records to rate.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chestnut-breasted Munia sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Chestnut-breasted Munia sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 2nd at under 5%. The best odds are in Daintree National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same family: Estrildidae
The closest relatives of the Chestnut-breasted Munia that you can see in Kakadu National Park (family Estrildidae, Waxbills and Allies) are Crimson Finch (about 30%), Double-barred Finch (about 30%) and Long-tailed Finch (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chestnut-breasted Munia is recorded against all the birds logged in Kakadu National Park (17 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
