| Pale-headed munia | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Estrildidae |
| Genus: | Lonchura |
| Species: | L. pallida |
| Binomial name | |
| Lonchura pallida (Wallace, 1864) | |
The pale-headed munia (Lonchura pallida) is a species of estrildid finch found in eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste. It is found in artificial landscapes, subtropical and tropical lowlands, dry shrub and grassland habitats.
The species' natural range includes central and south Sulawesi, Kalaotoa, Madu, and the Lesser Sundas. Abundance varies: it is locally common in the north of Flores, uncommon on Sumba, and appears to be expanding due to land clearance and farming on Sulawesi. [2] The munia was only recently added to the official list of birds resident on Timor, where it is generally assumed to have evaded notice during previous formal surveys. [3] [2]
Vagrant pale-headed munias have recently been sighted in Western Australia. A single individual was photographed in Broome in February 2022. [4] There was a claimed sighting of another bird on Troughton Island on the Kimberley coast in December 2024, [5] and at least nine birds were photographed on the same island in late January 2026, after landing there amid strong winds from Cyclone Luana. [6] There is an approximate 400-600 kilometre distance between the island and the species' closest known populations, centring on Timor.
Prior to these arrivals, the species' Australian records had been confined to occasional sightings of vagrants 320 kilometres off the Australian coast on that country's external territory of Ashmore Reef. [7]
 | This Estrildidae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information. |
