Monday March 13th - Tricolored Munia

 

Monday March 13th – Tricolored Munia

          Today is our last full day in Florida.  We never made it to the golf course but that left more time for birding.  We left the house early and headed north on the backroads because of major congestion on the Florida Turnpike.  Our destination was Belle Glade Marina and Torry Island which is just south of Lake Okeechobee. 

          Once again, we were searching for a lifer.  This time it was a Tricolored Munia.  This is a small finchlike bird that is native to places like India and Pakistan.  It has been introduced to several Caribbean countries probably as an escaped cage bird.  It has become established locally in South Florida and was added to the ABA “accepted” list in 2020.  The birds in South Florida probably got there from Cuba.

Tricolored Munias are seedeaters found is weedy, grassy areas of tropical lowlands.  The adult has a very large, pale blue or whitish bill and distinctive tricolored plumage: black hood and belly, otherwise white underparts, and chestnut wings, back and tail.  The juvenile is plain brown overall with a stout bluish-gray bill.

We arrived at the wetland area, started walking on the dike and soon found a flock of about eight munia.  Most were juveniles with a few transitioning to adult plumage.  While walking around the dikes we also saw Painted and Indigo Buntings, a Snail Kite, and Ospreys on a nest.  FOY birds seen here:

Caspian Tern                     Northern Rough-winged Swallow

Forster’s Tern                    Eastern Phoebe

Snail Kite                           Indigo Bunting

            Tricolored Munia (transitioning to adult plumage)

                                                 Tricolored Munia (immature)

                                                 Caspian Terns

                                                 Snail Kite

                                                 Northern Rough-winged Swallow

                                           Osprey







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