New ireland munia Lonchura forbesi

A small grassland-loving finch with a light orange chest and belly. Richly brown above, with a black head. Tail golden, undertail black. Found in most patches of tall grass up to 1000 meters of elevation. Other munias occur in the same areas, but New Ireland’s bold color patterns make for simple identification. Most common call is a chorus of soft “peep” and “see” notes, but overall relatively quiet.