This morning I had an unexpected visitor to my front yard. Whilst I am used to seeing Olive-backed Sunbirds every day, this fledgling Scaly-breasted Munia was a bit more of a surprise, particularly as it flew out of the plants at me as I was watering them.

Fledgling Scaly-breasted Munia
Photo by Nick Upton

Actually, I should not have been so surprised as a pair of Scaly-breasted Munias constantly nest in some bamboo in a neighbours yard. Scaly-breasted Munia is one of Thailand’s resident birds that breeds all year round and this pair make a new nest as soon as the chicks are fledged.

I watched this chick for a while and it was able to fly around okay and its mother was in attendance the whole time, feeding it when it called for food.