Lonchura teerinki
The Black-breasted Mannikin, *Lonchura teerinki*, is a captivating small finch, measuring approximately 10-11 cm in length. Its striking plumage features a velvety black head, throat, and breast, which sharply contrasts with its rich, dark chestnut-brown upperparts, flanks, and lower belly. A notable field mark is the pale, almost white or buffy, rump and uppertail coverts, and its distinctive conical, pale blue-grey bill. This species is taxonomically classified within the Estrildidae family...
This mannikin primarily inhabits montane grasslands, disturbed areas, and forest edges in the highlands of New Guinea, typically found at elevations between 1,200 and 2,500 meters.
Their diet consists predominantly of small grass seeds, foraged directly from the ground or stripped from grass heads, supplemented with a minor intake of small insects.
The Black-breasted Mannikin is a highly social species, typically observed foraging in small flocks of 5 to 20 individuals, and occasionally associating with other finch species. They forage predominantly on the ground, meticulously picking up seeds, but also adeptly cling to grass stems to extra...
The Black-breasted Mannikin is strictly endemic to the central highlands of New Guinea, encompassing regions within both West Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea. Its primary distribution includes the Snow Mountains (Pegunungan Maoke) in West Papua, extending eastward into the Star Mountains o...
Least Concern
- The Black-breasted Mannikin is one of only a handful of bird species endemic exclusively to the central highlands of New Guinea, making it a true island specialist. - Its scientific name, *Lonchura teerinki*, honors J. Teerink, who collected the type specimen that led to its scientific descript...