Fun Dusky Munia Facts For Kids

Dusky munia birds are rather fascinating, even though the monotonous plumage may inspire you to think otherwise. This species is found in Borneo and prefers tropical and sub-tropical climates. Much like the traits of the entire family, the dusky munia is colonial and likes free reign over its range of habitat.

This small bird species is characterized by its dark brown plumage, with a few light brown feathers that make the body look like a free-handed painting! Much like the related species such as Lonchura punctulata and Lonchura striata, the dusky munia has a conservation status that is of Least Concern, which means that the current population is stable.

Read ahead to find out manifold reasons why this melodious species should make it to your house as a pet!

For more relatable content, check out these ani bird facts and hummingbird facts for kids.

Dusky Munia Interesting Facts

What type of animal is a dusky munia?

The dusky munia is a bird species that is endemic to Borneo, and it is a part of the family of Munias.

What class of animal does a dusky munia belong to?

The scientific term of the class of animals that the dusky munia belongs to is that of Aves, however, you can call them birds, too.

How many dusky munias are there in the world?

Unfortunately, there is not a lot of information that can tell us the exact population size of the dusky munia, however, the conservation status does suggest that the current population of these birds is stable and that they will be around for a long time to come.

Where does a dusky munia live?

The dusky munia habitat consists of open spaces such as woodlands and grasslands, where they have plenty to feed on.

These passerine birds stay close to each other in tropical or sub-tropical climatic conditions, and chances are that if you happen to see this species, you will see just one bird perched on the tree or roaming around a field.

What is a dusky munia's habitat?

The dusky munia range map is pretty small, as this species of birds is endemic to Borneo. They also sometimes occur in places such as Philippines and Indonesia, although, such sights are rare and treasured by the locals of the area.

Who do dusky munias live with?

The family of munias (Estrildidae) is known to be a colonial one. Munias live in large colonies or flocks of about 100 birds and are considered common in the areas where they are mostly found.

They, in fact, are related to finches such as the gouldian finch and strawberry finch and freely make flocks with them as well. That tells us a lot about the temperament of these birds, doesn't it?

How long does a dusky munia live?

While there is no information regarding the average lifespan of the dusky munia (Lonchura fuscans), we do know that the average lifespan of the family of munia is of around six to eight years.

How do they reproduce?

The information that is available to us from studies states that dusky munias are oviparous animals - which means that these birds reproduce by laying eggs. The other relevant information comes from the study of related species such as the scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata), which shows a wide array of courting behavior.

The dusky munia male sings elaborate songs, while the dusky munia female gathers materials for the nest.

This finch or estrildidae family is also known to carry out breeding large colonies. The breeding season is usually during the summer or rainy season, although it is subject to variation.

What is their conservation status?

According to the IUCN Red List, the conservation status of this species is evaluated to be of Least Concern. This implies that the population size of the dusky munia species is quite stable and that their habitat is not likely to face any rapid or irreversible degradation in the near future.

Dusky Munia Fun Facts

What do dusky munias look like?

The dusky munia is characterized by plumage that is thoroughly dark brown in color, while the area surrounding the mouth is black in color. This bird species also has a white colored eye-ring, long tail and a gray-ish bill, which provides little contrast.

The dusky munia wingspan is average and allows the bird to be able to fly at a fair speed.

If you ever happen to see a dusky munia flying, you will notice that the underside of the wings are light brown in color.

How cute are they?

While you are entitled to have your own views regarding the dusky munia appearance, it can hardly be denied that despite the monotonous color palette of the plumage, these birds are impeccably cute due to their small size and rich brown color.

How do they communicate?

The mode of communication adopted by these birds is no different from other members of their family. The dusky munia communicates through soft whistles and calls, which are quite melodious and soothing to the ears.

They are especially good singers during the breeding season, and hence, if you happen to be in Borneo around the month of March or sometime in the rainy season, make sure to listen hard for the soft calls of this species!

How big is a dusky munia?

The average length of a dusky munia is close to the range of 4-4.7 in (10-12 cm). Comparatively, a sea eagle can be 10 times the size of this species of munias. At the same time, a dusky munia is almost twice the size of a rufous hummingbird!

How fast can a dusky munia fly?

While the dusky munia flight speed is not known, we may conclude from the wingspan of the species that these birds are fairly good at flying!

How much does a dusky munia weigh?

There is no relevant study that would tell us the exact weight of a dusky munia, although, the similarly sized scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) weighs around 0.4-0.5 oz (12-16 g).

What are the male and female names of the species?

There are no distinct names for the male and female dusky munia, and hence, we choose to lovingly refer to them as the male dusky munia and the female dusky munia respectively.

What would you call a baby dusky munia?

The dusky munia baby would be called by the same name as all the juveniles of the class of aves - nestling, hatching or chick!

What do they eat?

The dusky munia diet consists of seeds and berries that are freely found in their natural habitat, although, they do occasionally feed on insects and algae. Such protein-rich variation of diet is mostly seen during the breeding season.

Are they dangerous?

There are no reasons or records that may lead you to think that the dusky munia species is dangerous. In fact, munias such as the dusky munia and the scaly-breasted munia (Lonchura punctulata) are often kept as pets in the places where they are a common species.

Would they make a good pet?

It is common in places such as Borneo and India to have dusky munias or any other munia birds as pets, since they are so peaceful and so easy to take care of!

Did you know...

Dusky munia feathers are dark brown in color, with a few speckles of black.

The dusky munia nest is dome shaped, and is made out of grass and twigs that the female collects during the breeding season.

The dusky munia egg is white, and is perfectly oval in shape. Such features of the egg remain consistent throughout the family of munias.

This species is endemic and so, there are no records of dusky munia migration.

Studies have termed the dusky munia endemic.

This species is common in Borneo, and thus, it is not hard to find the dusky munia location. Related species of birds include Lonchura punctulata and Lonchura striata - all of which, have roughly the same breeding seasons.

Are dusky munias endangered?

The conservation status of the dusky munia is that of Least Concern, and hence, clearly, the species is not endangered at all!

Is a dusky munia a finch?

The dusky munia belongs to the same family as a lot of varieties of finches such as the Star finch, Strawberry finch and red-headed finch.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! For more relatable content, check out these flycatcher facts and black cuckoo facts pages.

You can even occupy yourself at home by coloring in one of our free printable bird coloring pages.