Black-and-white Mannikin
Lonchura bicolor
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Cordats)
- ClassAves (Aus)
- OrderPasseriformes
- FamilyEstrildidae (Waxbills and Allies)
- GenusLonchura (Typical Munias and Mannikins)
- SpeciesLonchura bicolor (Black-and-white Mannikin)
The black-and-white mannikin (Spermestes bicolor) also black-and-white munia or red-backed mannikin, is a species of estrildid finch, widely present throughout sub-Saharan Africa. It has an estimated global extent of occurrence of 4,200,000 km2 (1,600,000 sq mi). It is found in moist savanna and subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest habitat. The status of the species is evaluated as least concern. They are seedeaters, but are known to feed on algae. The black-and-white mannikin was formally described in 1843 by the British zoologist and collector Louis Fraser from a specimen collected near Cape Palmas in Liberia. Wikipedia →
Closest Relatives at Selous Game Reserve
Bronze Mannikin
Lonchura cucullata
Red-billed Firefinch
Lagonosticta senegala
Blue-breasted Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus angolensis
Red-cheeked Cordon-bleu
Uraeginthus bengalus
Orangebreast
Amandava subflava
Green-winged Pytilia
Pytilia melba
African Firefinch
Lagonosticta rubricata
Blue-capped Cordonbleu
Uraeginthus cyanocephalus
Peters's Twinspot
Hypargos niveoguttatus
Common Bulbul
Pycnonotus barbatus
Tropical Boubou
Laniarius major
Purple-banded Sunbird
Cinnyris bifasciatus
📅 Monthly Probability
Fewer than 5 records of Black-and-white Mannikin at Selous Game Reserve — not enough to chart months honestly.
☀️ When They're Spotted
Most active during daytime hours (6am–6pm) · across all parks (global)
Global Distribution
Where this species is recorded worldwide. Restricted to human observations from 2019 onwards — the same kind of record and the same period the probabilities on this page are built from, so collar-tracking studies, camera-trap arrays and museum specimens are excluded. Around Santa Rosa that removes 5,924 GPS fixes from a handful of tagged jaguars.
where this species is recorded (GBIF density — it tracks where observers go, not how likely a sighting is) · parks where it occurs — tap a pin for the sighting probability there