Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin

( Lonchura Castaneothorax)












                                       
Contents of the Page: ( Push at the subject)
About Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin
How to take care
Breeding

                                       





















Original Country:
Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin lives in big areas in the North-Eastern Australia. It is found in Long grass, Swamps and Mangroves. Locally nomadic, especially in the North. Can form flocks of several hundred Birds.




Cairns
Kununura in Western Australia
Cape York








Types:

Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin belongs to the Lonchura-family, who includes a number of  distinctly seedeating Finches with origin in Africa, Australia and  the Islands of Indonesia.

                            
The Lonchura-family consist of 30 types:                              

1) Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin
2) Yellow-rumped Mannikin
3) Pictorella Mannikin
4) New Hanover Mannikin
5) Tri-coloured Nun
6) Celebes Munia
7) Pallid Mannikin
8) Chestnut-and-White Munia
9) Great-billed Mannikin
10)New Guinea Mannikin
11)White-crowned Mannikin
12)Nutmeg Mannikin
13) White-spotted Mannikin
14) Streak-headed Mannikin
15)White-bellied Mannikin
16)Black-Faced Munia
17)Java Mannikin
18)Borneo Mannikin
19)White-backed Bronze Mannikin
20)Jerdon´s Mannikin
21) Sea-gull Finch
22)Bronze Mannikin
23)Blue-Billed Mannikin
24)Black and White Mannikin
25)Rufous-Backed Mannikin
26)Magpie Mannikin
27)Bibfinch
28)Pearl-headed Silverbill
29)African Silverbill
30)Indian Silverbill                        
                                                                                  
  
(Lonchura  castaneothorax)                               
(Lonchura  flaviprymna)
(Lonchura  pectoralis)
(Lonchura  malacca atricapilla) 
(Lonchura  malacca malacca)
(Lonchura  maja)
(Lonchura  pallida pallida)
(Lonchura  quinticolor)
(Lonchura  grandis)
(Lonchura  spectabilis)
(Lonchura  nervermanni)
(Lonchura  punctulata)
(Lonchura  leucosticta)
(Lonchura  tristissima)
(Lonchura  leucogastra)
(Lonchura  molucca)
(Lonchura leucogastroides)
(Lonchura  fuscans)
(Lonchura striata)
(Lonchura  kelaarti)
(Lonchura  domestica)
(Lonchura  cucullata)
(Lonchura bicolor bicolor)
(Lonchura bicolor poemsos)
(Lonchura  bicolor nigriceps)
(Lonchura  fringilloides)
(Lonchura  nana)
(Lonchura  griseicapilla)
(Lonchura  malábarrica cántas)
(Lonchura  malabarica malabarica)
     
                       

Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin belongs to the strong-billed Finches.

                         


Male


Has a grey Crown, Black Face and a heavy grey Bill. It has a Chestnut Brown Breast divided from White underparts by a Black bar. The rump and Tail are Golden Orange, with a Black undertail.


Female


More paler in the colours than the Male, and the black tranverse ribbon on the Chest is often more narrow than at the Male. Males sing and do a courtship dance.

Size:
                                                  

Lenght circa 11 cm                                                                   

Weight:  

                                                                                                                                   

Average weight 14 g                                 
                                                                   











Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin likes
to climb round about Rush-grass.


























How to take care:


It can be kept in a Cage or in an Aviary, but in an Avairy planted with Elephant Grass or Bamboos Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin will  be in its right place.
Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin is a peacefully birdtype, who likes to live in groups with other Birds.   
It must be fed with different sorts of Millets. To this comes Canary Seed,  greenery  and fruit.
 Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin requires temperatures over 15º.


Elephant Grass


Apples
Millet


Japanese Millet

Bamboo





Finch Mix























Breeding:


It is relative easy to breeding Chestnut-Breasted Mannikin if the Birds independently are allow to make couples.
The Nest is made of Grass either free in the Plants, who are in the Cage/ Aviary or in a Nest Basket.They like to use leaves from Bamboo or Grass to Nesting Material. Both parents build the Nest, incubate the eggs and feed the yuong, but only the Female stays in the Nest overnight. The Female lays 4 to 6 Eggs. Incubation takes about 14 days. The Fledglings leave the Nest after about three weeks, and they have a Bruff Brown colour overall. For the upfeeding it is fine with sprouted Finch Seed, possible sprouted Oat and Greenery. The Chicks are weaned in about 21 days and should be removed from the parents , because they want to go back to the Nest and desturb the next Litter of young Birds.  



Mouth markings
Two 5 weeks old young Birds with their parents to the right.

Chicks, who are not coloured up.