Smaller than the House Sparrow. Sexes alike, and the young are similar but duller and more uniformly coloured. The black face and throat, brown back, and pale pinkish-fawn patch on the side of the neck suffice to distinguish this from the other Sri Lankan Munias.
It associates usually in pairs or small parties, and travels about more than other munias, being often seen flying at a considerable height; the flight is undulating. The food consists of seeds and grain.The breeding season lasts nearly all the year, but April-September seems to be the favourite period. The nest is a untidy ball of grass set in a densely-foliaged tree.The four or five eggs are pure white in colour and they measure about 16.5 × 11.1mm.
It is a mountain bird, common in most districts above 2,000 feet, but in the wet zone it descends as low as 200 feet. This munia frequent tea estates, gardens, etc., but many also be found in the forest and in mana-grass and lantana scrub
Characteristics
The black-throated munia is 12 cm in length with a long black tail. The adult of the southwest Indian population, L. k. jerdoni, has a stubby grey bill, dark brown upperparts with pale shaft streaks a blackish face and bib; and pinkish brown underparts with scaly marking towards the vent. The Eastern Ghats form vernayi has paler pinkish underparts. The nominate form L. k. kelaarti of Sri Lanka has scaly patterning on the underparts and vent with the pale almost whitish shaft streaks contrasting on the darker back. The sexes are similar in all populations, but immatures lack the darker face and have more uniform underparts.
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