Date: 3/29/26 3:56 pm From: Lisa D. Walker, (Feather Forestwalker) via groups.io <feather...> Subject: Re: [Mendobirds] Scaly-breasted Munias at UWWTP
Wait til you see them doing their wild bird antics near ponds, lakes, estuaries, rivers and streams....
Sipping the morning dew off of cattails, for example. Their little calls are bright and energetic.
I am not sure if they are considered invasive yet; they are spreading northwards. I was hoping we'd see some on the coast up here but I think they prefer it much warmer and will likely stay inland.
Photos from Santa Barbara County's Andre Clark Bird Refuge, where I met Hugh Ranson
Lisa
On 2026-03-29 3:45 pm, Julia Larke via groups.io wrote: > I wondered what on earth is a scaly-breasted munia and just learned > it's an attractive bird from India and Southeast Asia that is sold in > the pet trade and often called a nutmeg mannikin or a spice finch > (though it's a member of the waxbill family). Known for their > hardiness, escaped pets have established populations globally, > including Southern California, the Gulf Coast, Hawaii, Australia and > the Caribbean. In recent years, their range is apparently expanding > into San Francisco and the Bay Area. > > I enjoyed reading this article by Hugh Ranson, a member of the Santa > Barbara Audubon Society. > https://www.independent.com/2024/04/12/invasion-of-the-mannikins/#:~:text=They%20are%20popular%20cage%20birds%20and%20are,**Young%20birds%20are%20plain%20brown%20all%20over** > > Julia Larke > Fort Bragg > > On Sun, Mar 29, 2026, 9:58 AM George Gibbs via groups.io [1] > <ggibbs...> wrote: > >> 3/29/26 >> >> Chuck Vaughn and I observed 3-5 Scaly-breasted Munias at the Ukiah >> Wastewater Treatment Plant this morning. Previously, Chuck Vaughn >> had seen one bird over the winter so perhaps these birds stayed in >> the area. They were located along the south fence line as before. >> Will post photos to eBird. >> >> Nice mud showing in middle and North ponds so hopefully it will be a >> good spring for shorebirds at the plant. Avocets and Stilts already >> exhibiting some nest building behavior. >> >> George Gibbs >> Ukiah > > > > Links: > ------ > [1] http://groups.io > [2] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/message/9764 > [3] https://groups.io/mt/118566389/974701 > [4] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/post > [5] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/editsub/974701 > [6] https://groups.io/g/Mendobirds/unsub
