Photo: Joseph Smit / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Forbes’s Mannikin
Lonchura forbesi
Forbes's Mannikin (Lonchura forbesi) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Australia & Oceania.
The Forbes’s Mannikin (Lonchura forbesi) is a member of the Estrildidae family found in Australia & Oceania. Adults weigh 13.3 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Estrildidae Waxbills, Munias & Allies
- Genus Lonchura
- Species forbesi
Quick facts
- Weight
- 13.3 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Estrildidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Grassland & open country
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Forbes’s Mannikin is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open grassland, it uses a wide range of foraging strategies.
Migration
The Forbes’s Mannikin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Forbes’s Mannikin (Lonchura forbesi) belongs to the Estrildidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Australia & Oceania. Its distribution covers AU New Ireland (ne Bismarck Arch.).
It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13.3 g, with a wing length of about 5.1 cm and a tail of around 4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 6,311 km² — a relatively restricted global range.
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Forbes’s Mannikin?
The Forbes’s Mannikin is a very small bird that weighs around 13.3 g.
Where does the Forbes’s Mannikin live?
The Forbes’s Mannikin is found across Australia & Oceania with a range covering AU New Ireland (ne Bismarck Arch.), where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.
What family does the Forbes’s Mannikin belong to?
The Forbes’s Mannikin (Lonchura forbesi) belongs to the Estrildidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Forbes’s Mannikin eat?
The Forbes’s Mannikin is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Forbes’s Mannikin migrate?
The Forbes’s Mannikin is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Forbes’s Mannikin endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
How large is the Forbes’s Mannikin's range?
The Forbes’s Mannikin has a mapped global range of about 6,311 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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