Munia

Scientific Name: Lonchura maja

Origin: Indonesia

This bird is hardy enough to be kept outside all year round and frequently lives for over ten years. Even when breeding, this specie is tolerant and peaceful with other seedeaters of similar size and habits, and its ease of management makes it an excellent choice for the beginner.

Description:

Size: 13 cm (5 in)

COCK:

Body: chocolate brown. Head: white.Beak: greyish-blue. Legs: grey. Eyes:black.

HEN:

Similar, but the head and beak are smaller than those of the cock.

Diet: (Seedeater)

Mixed millets and green food form the basic diet. If available, an occasional mealworm is enjoyed. Grit and cuttlefish bone must always be available.

Breeding:

It is sometimes a little difficult to get pairs to start breeding, but once accomplished, this bird rears young very well. An average clutch is four eggs with an incubation period of 12 days.

Rearing food should be provided in the form of soaked bread and a few chopped mealworms, if available, together with the normal seed diet. The young fledge in 25 days and the parents continue to feed them for some time afterwards. This specie is often cross-bred with Bengalese.

The following information can be useful for pet owners who are into trying their hands on breeding birds.

• Very less percentage of bird owners try their hands in breeding munia as this bird is easily available in the bird aviaries and at low rates as well. But if you are interested in breeding munia you should be informed that these birds usually develop strong bonding and form pairs at their very juvenile stage, during the time of their process of their early plumage. So, for successful breeding you are recommended to buy juvenile birds as they can form strong pairs.
• If not young birds, you may keep several adult birds in a colony. The birds would be able to choose their own mates for breeding.
• It would be ideal for the birds to be allowed to make their own nests for laying eggs and rearing the young. Provide them with half open boxes along with enough nest building materials like coco fibers, slender grasses and soft chicken feathers.
• To entice the birds for breeding you may introduce wild seeding grass, sprouted seeds and other forms of greens.
• While breeding serve them with egg based diet as that would ensure high protein content.

• This breed of bird is found in areas including Africa, south Asian countries like India, Srilanka, up till Indonesia and Philippines.
• The bird is mainly found in open food lands and is primarily a seed eating bird.
• The munia birds are popularly traded and those are which have either escaped or abandoned now resides in various parts of the world in colonies.