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By Alexander Wetmore
Nuns (Munias)
The group of weavers known to dealers and
aviculturists as "nuns" or "mannikins" comprises a hardy lot of species of small size with
sturdy bodies, short tails, and strong, heavy
bills. Ornithologists often call them "munias,"
Munia being the generic name applied to them
in science.
Despite their small size, the birds of this
group are sometimes shot by natives for food.
For a nest they weave a rounded ball of grass
with a concealed opening, hard to find, in the
upper end. The various kinds are abundant in
captivity and are easily handled. Four of the
munias regularly kept as pets are shown in
Color Plate VII.
The white-headed nun (Munia maja) is
found native in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra,
Java, Nias, and Bali. Marked by the pure-white head that gives it its name, it has two
shades of brown on the breast and sides, and
the central undersurface is black.
The black-headed nun (Mania atricapilla),
with coal-black head and deeper colors
throughout, ranges from India and western
China to the East Indian islands as far as
Celebes and the Philippines. Several geographic varieties are found, distinguished by
slight differences of size and color.
The brown-breasted nun (Mania castaneothorax) comes from northern tropical Australia, and the three-colored nun (Mania malacca)
from India. All feed on seeds, sometimes attacking the rice crops. There are several other
related kinds that may be found in aviaries.
Originally appeared in the December 1938 issue of the National Geographic Magazine
This Web version COPYRIGHT 2004
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