Scaly-breasted Munia in North Sulawesi : The Charming Little Finch of the Grasslands

The Scaly-breasted Munia (Lonchura punctulata), also known as the Spotted Munia or Nutmeg Mannikin, is a small, social bird found across tropical Asia. It has also been introduced to other parts of the world, including the Pacific islands, the Caribbean, and the Americas. Beloved for its gentle nature and striking plumage, this munia thrives in open habitats and is often seen in small flocks.

Scaly-breasted Munia

Physical Characteristics

The Scaly-breasted Munia is a small bird, about 11–12 cm in length. Its most distinctive feature is the scale-like pattern on its breast and belly, formed by dark-edged white feathers, giving the bird its name. The rest of the plumage is typically brown with a slightly reddish tinge on the head and back. Both males and females look similar, making sexing by appearance difficult.

Juvenile munias lack the scaly breast and are mostly dull brown with paler underparts.

Scaly-breasted Munia in Tomohon town

Habitat and Distribution

This species is native to South and Southeast Asia, including India, Indonesia, the Philippines, and southern China. It prefers grasslands, open woodlands, rice fields, and even urban gardens. Thanks to its adaptability, the Scaly-breasted Munia has become a successful colonizer of new areas where it has been introduced.

Behavior and Diet

Scaly-breasted Munias are gregarious, often seen in flocks feeding on seeds and grains. Their diet mainly consists of grass seeds, millets, and occasionally small insects. In agricultural areas, they are considered as pests due to their fondness for rice and other cereal crops.

They forage both on the ground and on grass stalks, often hanging upside-down to reach seeds. Their chirping and twittering are soft but constant when in flocks.

Breeding and Nesting

The breeding season varies depending on the region but often coincides with the monsoon or rainy season. Scaly-breasted Munias build a globular nest using grasses and other fine plant material, usually placed in bushes, trees, or even in man-made structures.

They lay 4 to 6 white eggs, and both parents share incubation and chick-rearing duties. The young fledge in about 3 weeks, but families often stay together for some time afterward.

Conservation Status

The Scaly-breasted Munia is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. It has a wide range, a stable population, and is abundant in many parts of its distribution. However, localized threats include habitat loss and capture for the pet trade.

Cultural and Ecological Importance

In many parts of Asia, the Scaly-breasted Munia is a popular aviary bird due to its calm demeanor and attractive appearance. Ecologically, it plays a role in controlling grass seed populations and serves as prey for birds of prey and small mammals.

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching tour in Minahasa Peninsula of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia, and want me to organize your tour, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Also read:

• Sonder Tours
• Sonder Bird
• Minahasa Highland Tour
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa Highland

Birding in North Sulawesi of Indonesia

Sulawesi is a tropical island in the Republic of Indonesia. Geographically, it is located in the trasitional zone between the continent of Asia and the continent of Australia. 

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

According to burung.org website, as of 2024, Sulawesi has got the highest endemic birds in Indonesia with 169 species. As a comparison, we could see the number of endemic birds in 7 avifauna regions of Indonesia below:

• Sulawesi: 169 species
• Maluku: 126 species
• Nusa Tenggara: 108 species
• Java and Bali: 80 species
• Papua: 71 species
• Sumatra: 56 species
• Kalimantan: 6 species

It is not surprising to see that Sulawesi has become one of the most popular birdwatching destinations for visitors who travel to Indonesia. There are a number of birding sites in Sulawesi. 

North Sulawesi Province: 

• Mount Mahawu higher montane forest, and Sonder farm forest are 2 important sites in Minahasa Peninsula that have got a lot of tropical birds that are endemic to Sulawesi. Some of them include: Scaly-breasted Kingfisher, Sulawesi Pitta, Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Myzomela, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Pygmy Hanging Parrot, Pygmy Woodpecker, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Pale Blue Monarch, Ashy Woodpecker, Yellow-billed Malkoha, and a lot more.
• Tangkoko is the site in Minahasa Peninsula that is suitable not only for birdwatching but also for wildlife watching. Birds that can be watched in this nature reserve are the ones that live in lowland forest, lower montane forest, coastal area and mangrove forest. They include Green-backed Kingfisher, Lilac-cheeked Kingfisher, Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher, and etc.. Sulawesi Bear Cuscus, Celebes-crested Macaque and Gursky's Spectral Tarsier are some of the mammals that could be seen in Tangkoko.

Gursky's Spectral Tarsier

• Mount Ambang is a higher montane forest area in North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia that is the habitat of Matinan Flycatcher. Tambun Maleo Sanctuary. Manado city is the capital of the province. It is also the entry point for visitors who are interested birding in this region. 

South Sulawesi Province: Karaenta, Ramang-ramang, Malino.
Central Sulawesi Province: Lore Lindu National Park
Gorontalo Province: Bogani Nani Wartabone National Park (whose territory also covers the forest area of Bolaang Mongondow regency in North Sulawesi province)

Birdwatchers usually use 8×42 mm, 10×42 mm, or 10×50 mm binoculars with such brands as Nikon, Swarovski, Leica, Bushnell and etc. They may also bring a spotting scope that is mounted on a tripod.

A lot of species of birds could be watched and photographed in Sulawesi. They include: 

• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher
• Sulawesi Myzomela 
• Warbling White-eye
• Black-crowned White-eye
• Ashy Woodpecker 
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker 
• Ashy Woodpecker
• Sulawesi Leaf Warbler 
• Sulawesi Bush Warbler
• Knobbed Hornbill
• Sulawesi Hornbill
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• Sulawesi Brush Cuckoo 
• Scaly-breasted Kingfisher
• Collared Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Lilac Kingfisher
• Green-backed Kingfisher
• Great-billed Kingfisher
• Ruddy Kingfisher
• Sulawesi Dwarf Kingfisher
• Purple-bearded Bee-eater
• Blue-tailed Bee-eater
• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker
• Gray-sided Flowerpecker
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Sulawesi Hanging Parrot
• Pygmy Hanging Parrot
• Yellow-cheeked Lorikeet
• Golden-mantled Racquet-tail
• Yellow-breasted Racquet-tail (also called Minahasa Racquet-tail)
• Sahul Sunbird
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Crimson Sunbird
• Black Sunbird
• White-necked Myna
• Sulawesi Myna
• Green Imperial Pigeon
• Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon
• Black-naped Fruit Dove
• White-breasted Woodswallow
• Ivory-backed Woodswallow
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove (Macropygia doreya albicapilla)
• Black-naped Oriole
• Chestnut Munia
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Black-faced Munia
• and etc.

As a tourist guide, we could organize a birdwatching/ photography tour for visitors who are interested in birding and photography tour in this part of Indonesia. If you are interested in taking this tour whether as an individual or as a group, please, contact me by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Also read:

• Birdwatching in North Sulawesi
• Bird Photography Tour in Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Minahasa Highland
• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birding in Sonder and Mount Mahawu of Minahasa Highland

Sonder Bird in North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia

Sonder town in Minahasa highland has increasingly become another destination for visitors who are interested in hiking, watching birds of Sulawesi and sightseeing. Birds that could be watched include:

• Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker (Dicaeum nehrkorni)
• Sulawesi Myzomela (Myzomela chloroptera)
• Crimson Sunbird (Aethopyga siparaja)
• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis omissus)
• Snowy-browed Flycatcher (Ficedula hyperythra)
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker (Dendrocopos temmincki)
• Citrine Canary- Flycatcher (Culicicapa helianthea)
• Japanese White-eye (also called: Warbling White-eye)
• Sulawesi Bush Warbler
• Sulawesi Drongo
• Black-faced Munia
• Black Kite
• Lesser Fish Eagle
• Sulawesi Goshawk
• and etc.

Sulawesi Scops Owl in Subdistrict Sonder

During the birding tour in Sonder, we will also do night walk to look for nocturnal bird such as Sulawesi Scops Owl, Speckled Boobook. 

Birds that live in lower montane forest of Sulawesi could also be seen in Sonder. The slope of Tounelet behind Siloam Hospital is still covered by a small forest. It is the natural habitat of such birds as:

• Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon
• Black-naped Oriole
• Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove
• Zebra Dove
• Hair-crested Drongo (white-eyed)
• Gray-sided Flowerpecker
• Yellow-sided Flowerpecker
• Yellow-billed Malkoha
• Pale Blue Monarch
• Sahul Sunbird. 

Crimson Sunbird

The outskirts of Sonder town is mostly covered by farm forest that is the habitat of

• Finch-billed Myna
• White-breasted Woodswallow
• Collared Kingfisher
• Black-billed Koel
• Sulawesi Cicadabird
• Green Imperial Pigeon
• Brown-throated Sunbird
• Ashy Woodpecker
• Sulawesi Crow
• Sulawesi Myna, and etc.

Barred Rail

In paddy field areas of Sonder, we could see:

• Barred Rail
• Buff-banded Rail
• Scaly-breasted Munia
• Chestnut Munia
• Isabelline Bush-hen
• White-browed Crake
• Cinnamon Bittern
• and etc.

Yellow-billed Malkoha in Tounelet Slope Forest of Sonder Town

Birding Equipment

To watch birds, visitors need to bring a good pair of 8×42 mm, 10×42 mm or 10 × 50 mm binoculars. Famous brands such as Nikon Monarch, Swarovski, Leica are highly recommended. As a guide, I also bring a spotting scope for everyone to share the image of birds that sit on a branch of a distant tree. 

Sulawesi Hanging Parrot

Where is Sonder?

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The capital of the province is Manado city. It is surrounded by hills, rivers and valleys. Visitors who want to visit Sonder town can go by car from Manado city for 1 hour. 

Sonder town

Flight routes to Manado city

Car route from Manado city to Tomohon and Sonder in Minahasa highland

Extending Your Birding Tour

This birding trip in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa highland can be extended to longer trips to other birding sites in the same region of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. The tour plan for the extended tour is described in the following itinerary:

Birding in North Sulawesi

• Day 1

Arriving in Manado city. Lake Linow of Lahendong village.

• Day 2

Birding in Mount Mahawu, and Sonder's Farm Forest.

• Day 3

Birding in Mount Mahawu, Tincep's waterfall and rice field.

• Day 4

Transfer to Tangkoko Nature Reserve. Birding in Temboan Hill

• Day 5

Birding inside Tangkoko forest

• Day 6 

Birding in Naun River

• Day 7

Birding in Temboan, transfer to Manado, check into hotel. Birding at the outskirts of Manado city.

• Day 8 

Transfer to airport.

How to get there?

Forign visitors need to fly from their country to Singapore. There are regular flight service from Scoot Air between Singapore and Manado city. There are also flights between Guangzhou of China and Manado city of Indonesia.

For foreign visitors who fly to Jakarta or Denpasar of Bali, they could take domestic flights provided by such airlines in Indonesia as Garuda, Batik, SuperAirjet, Citilink and Sriwijaya Air. 

Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon

Where to stay?

There are basic homestays in Sonder town. Visitors who look for more comfortable rooms can stay in hotels in Tomohon town which visitors can choose to stay. 

The birding tour in Sonder can be combined with avifauna tour in Mount Mahawu, Lake Linow and Tangkoko National Park. The duration of this tour is approximately 1 week. 

Booking

If you are interested in taking a birding tour in Sonder and other parts of Minahasa Peninsula and want us to organize your trip, please, contact us by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Birding in Sonder of Minahasa Highland
• Birding in Mount Mahawu, Lake Linow and Sonder's Farm Forest
• Nature Tour in Manado city
• Birding and Sightseeing Tour from Manado City
• Butterfly watching in Sonder Town of Minahasa Highland
• Farmland Tours in Sonder Town

Japanese White-eye in North Sulawesi

Here is the picture of Japanese White Eye bird that I saw in Minahasa highland of North Sulawesi Province of Indonesia. It is only a small but beautiful bird.  

The Japanese White-eye, also known by its scientific name Zosterops japonicus, is a small bird native to East Asia. It has a greenish upper body, a yellow throat and chest, and a distinctive white ring around its eyes. This white eye-ring gives the bird its name. The species is also commonly called the Mejiro in Japan.

Japanese White-eye (now called Warbling White-eye)

Japanese White-eyes are small and agile. They typically measure around 10 to 12 centimeters in length. Their diet includes insects, nectar, and various fruits. They use their sharp beaks to feed on soft fruits and to catch small insects. These birds are active and often move quickly through trees and bushes in search of food.

The Japanese White-eye is known for its pleasant and soft calls. It is a social bird that often forms small flocks, especially outside of the breeding season. During breeding, pairs build small cup-shaped nests in trees or shrubs. The female usually lays two to five eggs. Both parents help in feeding the chicks after they hatch.

These birds are adaptable and can live in various habitats. They are found in forests, gardens, and even urban parks. Because of their attractive appearance and singing, they have sometimes been kept as pets in the past.

Warbling White-eye

The Japanese White-eye has been introduced to other parts of the world, including Hawaii and some Pacific islands. In some areas, it has become invasive and may compete with native birds for food and nesting space.

In its native range, the Japanese White-eye plays a role in pollination and seed dispersal, especially in forest ecosystems. It is considered a species of least concern in terms of conservation status. However, changes in habitat and competition with other species can still affect local populations.

If you are interested in watching and photographing Japanese White-eye bird in Minahasa highland as well as a lot of other species of tropical birds of Sulawesi island, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

• Birdwatching and Photo Tour at the Outskirts of Manado city
• Sulawesi Myzomela
• Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher
• Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker
• Bird Photography Tour in Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Minahasa Highland
• Birding Tour from Manado City
• Discovering the Black-naped Oriole: A Tropical Jewel of the Canopy
• Watching Black-naped Oriole in Sonder Town

Sulawesi Drongo in Sonder's Farm Forest of Minahasa Highland

This is the photograph of Sulawesi Drongo (Dicrurus montanus) that I saw in the farm forest of Sonder town in the highland of Minahasa regency of Indonesia. I saw this bird when ai was guiding a tourist from United Kingdom. We were walking on a concrete path through a clove plantation when we saw the bird sitting on a small branch of the clove tree.

Sulawesi Drongo in the farm forest of Sonder town in Minahasa highland

Drongo is considered a good friend of farmers because it eats insect for its diet. So, its function in a farm environment is a pest controller.

It did not make a lot of movements but I had to move closer several times and  change my position to get good angle for photographing this drongo. This endemic bird of Sulawesi island lives in mountainous region. It has got black feather with fork tail and dark red eye. 

Sonder is a small subdistrict town in Minahasa regency of Indonesia. It is surrounded by rice paddy, vegetable garden, plantations of clove, coconut, and other fruiting trees. It has got forest in higher elevation area. There are rivers that supports this agricultural land. Local farmers run fish farming, pig farming and poultry farming on the sides of these rivers. 

Sonder has got several interesting birdwatching sites. The farm forest in higher elevation or mountaineous region of Minahasa highland is the habitat of such birds as Sulawesi Blue Flycatcher, Sulawesi Myzomela, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Japanese White-eye, Black-crowned White-eye, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Crimson Sunbird, and etc. 

In the small forest of Tounelet Slope, birdwatchers could see Sulawesi Hanging Parrot, Black-naped Oriole, Pale Blue Monarch, Sulaweei Brush Cuckoo, Sooty-headed Bulbul, Chestnut Munia, Sahul Sunbird, Gray-cheeked Green Pigeon, and etc.

If you are interested in taking a birdwatching holiday in Sonder town, you need to fly to Manado city which is the capital of North Sulawesi Province in Indonesia. We could meet you at the airport and organize your birdwatching trip to various birding sites in Sonder town and other areas of North Sulawesi.

For more information, please, contact me (Charles Roring) by email to: peace4wp@gmail.com or by whatsapp to: +6281332245180. 

Also read:

• Wildlife Photography Tour in Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Minahasa Highland
• Hiking Tour and Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Butterflywatching in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa
• Birding and Butterflywatching in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birding and Photography Tour in North Sulawesi

Warbling White-eye

I often do birdwatching trip in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa highland. One of the birds that I see is Warbling White-eye (Zosterops japonicus). This is a small bird that likes to hop on the twigs of shrub plants that grow along the roadside of hills in Minahasa. 

Warbling White-eye

According to ebird, this bird can be found in Indonesian islands, the Philipines, coastal area of China, Taiwan, Japan, Korean peninsula and even upto Russian Far Fast.  In Wikipedia, it says that the bird is omnivorous meaning that it eats various kinds of food from berries to insects and seeds. Therefore, ecologically, the bird plays very important role as seed dispersers and as predator of small insects that are often considered by farmers as pest. So, this tiny bird is an unsung hero in agriculture. 

Warbling White-eye

In Minahasa highland, this Warbling White-eye lives in the mountains where the daily temperature is cools. 

The bird has got olive head, neck and wings with bright yellow throat and white-grayish underparts. It has got black pointy bill and white-eye ring. 

In addition to Warbling White-eye, other birds that I see during my birding walk in Minahasa highland include Sulawesi Cuckoo-dove, Superb Fruit-dove, Sulawesi Drongo, White-eyed Drongo, Crimson Sunbird, Crimson-crowned Flowerpecker, Sulawesi Pygmy Woodpecker, Citrine Canary Flycatcher, Sulawesi Bush Warbler, Gray-sided Flowerpecker, Yellow-sided Flowerpecker and a lot more. 

As a tourist guide, I offer birdwatching and butterfly watching tours to tourists who plan to visit Manado city in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia. 

If you are interested in taking a vacation to Indonesia and want to me organize your nature tour in Minahasa highland, you could contact me (Charles Roring) by whatsapp to: +6281332245180 or by e-mail to peace4wp@gmail.com. 

Also read:

• Wildlife Photography Tour in Tangkoko Nature Reserve and Minahasa Highland
• Hiking Tour and Birdwatching in Minahasa
• Butterflywatching in Subdistrict Sonder of Minahasa
• Birding and Butterflywatching in Sonder of Minahasa
• Birding and Photography Tour in North Sulawesi