The western alpine mannikin also known as Snow Mountain mannikin or western alpine munia is a small, approximately 11.5 cm long, estrildid finch. Both sexes are similar with dark brown plumage, black face, buff chest and black-barred white abdomen. The young has black bill, dark brown plumage and buffy-white below.
Region
New Guinea Highlands
Typical Environment
Found in alpine and subalpine grasslands, herbfields, and the edges of mossy montane forest in western New Guinea. It frequents seeding tussock grasses, sedge meadows, and shrubby clearings, sometimes using shrubby gullies for shelter. Outside of breeding, small flocks range across open slopes and valley bottoms where grasses seed abundantly. Nests are typically placed low in dense grass clumps or shrubs. Its range is patchy, tracking suitable high-elevation grassland.
Altitude Range
1600–3900 m
Climate Zone
Highland
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
Also called the Snow Mountain mannikin or western alpine munia, this small estrildid finch is adapted to high, cold grasslands in western New Guinea. It forages in flocks on seeding grasses and sedges and often descends to edges of montane forest. Taxonomically, it is sometimes discussed alongside an eastern counterpart, reflecting its fragmented highland range. Its high-altitude lifestyle makes it uncommon in aviculture.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically found in small flocks or family groups outside the breeding season, feeding and moving together across open slopes. Pairs form during breeding, constructing dome-shaped grass nests low in dense clumps or shrubs. Clutch sizes are small to moderate, and both parents participate in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
Quiet, thin twitters and chips interspersed with soft trills; calls are high-pitched and contact-oriented. Song bouts are brief and often delivered from low perches within grass or shrub cover.
Plumage
Dark brown upperparts with a black face mask, buff chest, and a white belly crossed by fine black barring; wings and back plain brown, tail dark. Juveniles are duller brown with buffy-white underparts and a black bill.
Diet
Primarily seeds of alpine and montane grasses and sedges, taken directly from seed heads. Will also glean small seeds from the ground and occasionally supplement with small insects, especially during breeding. Foraging is rapid and methodical, often in loose flocks that keep contact by soft calls.
Preferred Environment
Feeds in open grasslands, sedge meadows, and along the edges of montane forest where grasses seed profusely. Often uses sheltered gullies and shrub patches during adverse weather while continuing to forage nearby.
