IDENTIFICATION

VOCALISATIONS

The typical call in flight and when perched is a rather plaintive, slightly metallic, downslurred ‘heev’.

DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT PREFERENCE

The distribution of Scaly-breasted Munia in HK is strongly tied to that of lowland grassland including both active and abandoned agricultural land (the latter so long as it remains predominantly open country), derelict land, open storage areas, fish pond bunds and vegetated wetlands. Whilst most such grassland is coastal, it also occurs where lowland grassland exists in inland areas; however, it is not found in upland grassland. The core distribution remains the wetlands, fish ponds and farmlands between Tuen Mun in the west and Luk Keng in the east, with the highest numbers around Mai Po and San Tin, Long Valley and the Kam Tin plain. There are scattered populations elsewhere, including some of the islands, where suitable habitat exists.

Despite ongoing development occurring in its favoured lowland habitats, the core range of Scaly-breasted Munia appears to have shown rather little change in recent years. In breeding bird surveys it was recorded from 5.1% of squares in 1993-96 and 6.6% in the 2016-19. It is somewhat more widespread in winter and was recorded from 14.7% and 8.4% of squares in the 2001-05 and 2016-19 winter atlas surveys respectively. However, there has been a reduction in its distribution and numbers away from the core range, notably in the east and southeast New Territories and on Lantau and Lamma Islands where the distribution is now almost entirely coastal, whilst it has almost disappeared from HK Island. Occasional records from urban areas, including city parks, are most likely to relate to ex-captive individuals, as Scaly-breasted Munia is one of the most frequent species involved in Buddhist ‘mercy’ releases.

The reason for the decline in range is doubtless a consequence of the decline in agriculture and the disappearance of lowland grassland due to succession from grassland to shrubland and forest, together with the intensification of urban development, the latter being a particular feature on HK Island. There is no evidence that the recent increase in numbers and range of White-rumped Munia is connected to the decline of Scaly-breasted Munia and both species occur together on occasion, for example in rice fields in Long Valley.

OCCURRENCE

In the past Scaly-breasted Munia was considered to be resident, albeit somewhat nomadic, with flocks occurring at favoured feeding sites outside the breeding season (Carey et al. 2001). However, systematic observations on Po Toi during 2006-12 demonstrated that there, at least, it is a migrant, occurring in spring between mid-April and late May and in autumn/winter between August and January, with a peak count of 84 in the latter month (G. Welch in litt.). Perhaps some of the birds seen in the northern New Territories are also migrants to and from south China; counts of a flock of 300 at Mai Po on 23 May 2005, and the highest counts on record of 580 at Tsim Bei Tsui on 29 August 1995 (Carey et al. 2001) and, more recently, 630 at Long Valley on 9 January 2015, are suggestive of this. However, Vaughan and Jones (1913) considered it to be a migrant in Macau where ‘large numbers’ were noted passing through in November.

BREEDING

Scaly-breasted Munia has a long breeding season with nest building reported in all months except January, whilst a newly-fledged juvenile has been noted as late as December (Carey et al. 2001). However, it is possible that some nests may be roost nests, rather than intended for nesting, as it appears that eggs may not be laid in a high proportion of nests (Carey et al. 2001).

Nests consist of an untidy ball of grass placed in an isolated tree from two to 25 metres metres above ground level or towards the top of a small conifer three or four metres high. In HK nests usually appear to be placed singly, unlike in some other parts of the world where colonies are apparently more common (Carey et al. 2001); where two nests are placed close together, they may represent successive nests built by the same pair (Herklots 1953). Vaughan and Jones (1913) stated that in Macau, the usual clutch consists of six or seven pure white eggs; in HK a single clutch of five eggs was found on 29 May (Herklots 1953) and a pair has been seen feeding five juveniles, also in May.

BEHAVIOUR, FORAGING & DIET

Scaly-breasted Munia is a highly sociable species, almost always found as small parties or in flocks of up to several hundred birds (the latter usually in winter at concentrations of seeding grasses or in harvested rice fields). It is found in larger flocks than White-rumped Munia (though the two species do occur in mixed flocks, usually mostly of Scaly-breasted Munias). Flocks are not shy and loafing birds are often seen perching prominently and in the open on bushes or on wires. The flight is fast and direct and flocks are often seen flying at low to moderate heights above the ground. It apparently roosts communally, though details are limited to counts of flocks of up to 350 leaving or flying to roost sites at Long Valley, Sha Po and Palm Springs in May, June and November.

Scaly-breasted Munia is a granivore with small parties and flocks aggregating in patches of seeding grass and in rice fields. Seeds may be stripped and eaten both when they are attached to the stem (including when they are unripe) or picked up from the ground. Seeding rice fields, as at Long Valley, and extensive patches of Guinea Grass Panicum maximum are particularly favoured (Wong 1996, Carey et al. 2001).

RANGE & SYSTEMATICS

The extensive native range extends from Paskistan in the west throughout south and east Asia, including the Philippines and the Indonesian archipelago (Payne 2020). It is widespread in southern and central China north to Sichuan, Hubei and Jiangsu (Liu and Chen 2021). It has been widely introduced elsewhere in the tropics and subtropics.

There are 11 races, two of which occur in China: L. s. yunnanensis in Yunnan and L. s. topela in the remainder of its Chinese range including HK.

CONSERVATION STATUS

IUCN: Least Concern. Population trend stable.