BROWN BIRDS SEEN IN NORTH AMERICA

Scaly-Breasted Munia 

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Lonchura Punctulata 

Adults have a stubby dark bill typical of grain-eating birds, brown upperparts and a dark brown head. The underparts are white with dark scale markings.

Both sexes are similar, although males have darker markings on the underside and a darker throat than females.

Juveniles have pale brown upperparts, lack the dark head found in adults, and have uniform buff underparts.

BILL: dark, grain-eating bill.

SIZE: measures about 4.3 - 4.7 inches in length, with a wingspan of 6 inches.

WEIGHT: weighs about 12 - 16 grams.

COLOR: brown, white and buff.

Seeds, grains, berries, fruits and insects.

Grassland habitats in their native range, particularly in areas near sources of fresh water.

A variety of open habitats with suitable foraging opportunities, including farmland, urban edges, and grassy and shrubby fields (introduced populations in the U.S.).

NATIVE RANGE: tropical southern Asia from India and Sri Lanka east to Indonesia and the Philippines.

OUTSIDE RANGE: West Indies, Hawaii, Australia, Japan, and the southern United States, mainly in Florida and California.

CALL: A variety of vocalizations, particularly when communicating in flocks.

Typical calls include a sharp chip note used in alarm, short whistles, and a "chit-tee chit-tee" chattering.

SONG: During courting, males sing a very quiet, variable, long song of a series of whistled and chattered notes and phrases.

NEST: Nest is a large dome, made of grasses, leaves, or other vegetative material, with a side entrance.

It is typically placed in a tree, shrub, and man-made structures in protected locations.

EGGS: 4 - 8 eggs.

They are a very social species, often found foraging in large flocks.

SOURCES: https://www.birds-of-north-america.net

                   https://en.wikipedia.org

                   https://www.sdakotabirds.com