Nutmeg Mannikin
Lonchura punctulata
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyEstrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
- GenusLonchura (Typical Munias and Mannikins)
- SpeciesLonchura punctulata (Nutmeg Mannikin)
The scaly-breasted munia or spotted munia (Lonchura punctulata), known in the pet trade as nutmeg mannikin or spice finch, is a sparrow-sized estrildid finch native to tropical Asia. A species of the genus Lonchura, it was formally described and named by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. Its name is based on the distinct scale-like feather markings on the breast and belly. The adult is brown above and has a dark conical bill. The species has 11 subspecies across its range, which differ slightly in size and colour. This munia eats mainly grass seeds apart from berries and small insects. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Ciénaga de Zapata
Tricolored Munia
Lonchura malacca
American Redstart
Setophaga ruticilla
Red-legged Thrush
Turdus plumbeus
Palm Warbler
Setophaga palmarum
Greater Antillean Grackle
Quiscalus niger
Cuban Pewee
Contopus caribaeus
Cuban Blackbird
Dives atroviolaceus
Tawny-shouldered Blackbird
Agelaius humeralis
Northern Parula
Setophaga americana
Gray Catbird
Dumetella carolinensis
Black-throated Blue Warbler
Setophaga caerulescens
Northern Mockingbird
Mimus polyglottos
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Nutmeg Mannikin at Ciénaga de Zapata — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there