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  1. Species
  2. ›
  3. Estrildidae
  4. ›
  5. Heteromunia
  6. ›
  7. Pictorella Mannikin
Pictorella Mannikin
Photo · (c) Kym Nicolson, some rights reserved (CC BY)

BirdUp · Species

Pictorella Mannikin

Heteromunia pectoralis(Gould, 1841)

Updated 21 March 2026

Origin: Endemic
Order
PASSERIFORMES
Family
Estrildidae
Genus
Heteromunia

At a glance

The Pictorella Mannikin is a tiny bird, about 12–13 cm long, endemic to Australia. It can be seen year-round.

Size
12–13 cm
Origin
Endemic
Best seen
Year-round
Commonness
Endemic
  • Identification
  • Where
  • When
  • Behaviour
  • Gallery

01 · Identification

How to tell it apart

What does a Pictorella Mannikin look like?

The Pictorella Mannikin is a tiny bird, about 12–13 cm long and weighing 13–18 g.

The pictorella mannikin, pictorella munia, or pictorella finch is small brown and grey finch with a grey bill and distinctive scaly white breast plate which is endemic to northern Australia. It is a seed-eater found in pairs and small flocks in dry savannah and subtropical or tropical dry lowland grassland.

Description · wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Field specs

Length
12–13 cm
Weight
13–18 g

Measurements · avonet · CC BY 4.0

03 · When

When to look

When can you see a Pictorella Mannikin?

The Pictorella Mannikin is present across its Australian range year-round, so it can be seen in any month.

  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec

05 · Behaviour

Habits and haunts

What does a Pictorella Mannikin eat?

The Pictorella Mannikin feeds on seeds and terrestrial invertebrates, usually foraging in pairs or flocks.

06 · Gallery

Plumage up close

5 photos

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02 · Where

Where to find it

Where does the Pictorella Mannikin live in Australia?

The Pictorella Mannikin is endemic to Australia, recorded across 27 of Australia’s bioregions.

BreedingNorth WA to east-central QLD (north Australia)

Distribution from BirdUp Australia community data

Legend

  • Non-breeding
  • Resident
  • Vagrant

6 regions recorded