Chestnut-breasted Mannikin

1. Black face with pale streaks and a rich chestnut breast

2. Distinctive black band separating the chestnut breast from white belly

3. Bell-like "tink" call that carries through tall grass

These munias are highly sociable, gathering in large flocks outside the breeding season and breeding in dense colonies from February to April in northern Australia. Nests are oval and covered, with a side entrance, built in long grass or reeds near water. Both parents share incubation of 4–6 eggs for about two weeks, and chicks fledge after 22–28 days. Juveniles take several months to attain full adult plumage, often appearing mottled during this transition. The diet consists mainly of grass seeds, but insects are also taken during breeding to feed chicks. They are adaptable, moving locally in response to seasonal rains and food availability.

Chestnut-breasted Munias are found in reedbeds, tall grasses, and wetlands across northern and eastern Australia, as well as in cane fields, grassy woodlands, and sometimes even arid areas near water. They are highly social, forming large flocks outside the breeding season, sometimes numbering in the hundreds after rain. They are often seen clinging acrobatically to grass seedheads, especially at dawn and dusk when feeding is most active.