Bird Board
Scaly-breasted Munia nesting @ Deering Estate
Posted by Rangelrok@bellsouth.net
over 9 years ago
5 Comments
I had a fellow naturalist (Elias Horna) here at the park tell me about a nest in the visitor center parking lot recently and while I haven't been able to photograph any birds going and coming, I have seen them on several occasions as I go about my day. Countable in Dade soon?
Comments
Hi Rangel,
eBIrd shows maybe 10 reports in Miami-Dade County over the past 12 months, numbering 1-10 birds each. Honestly, you are several hundred documented individuals short of even beginning to consider establishment according to FOSRC criteria (scroll nearly to the end).
http://fosbirds.org/content/records-committee-rules-and-procedures
Barring some serious year-long survey involving dozens of observers, you have no indication of establishment (as opposed to the existence of scattered pairs). Should you gather data to support at least 500 individuals, then you'd need to map the range -- which ideally should cover several hundred square miles -- and then prepare a manuscript that is submitted to (and ultimately published in) a peer-reviewed journal. Then FOSRC would look at the data and render an opinion. But without the fieldwork and publication, the status quo is maintained and FOSRC takes no action.
Best regards,
Bill Pranty
Bayonet Point, Florida
OK, I overlooked a report of 25 munias at one site.
http://ebird.org/ebird/map/nutman?neg=true&env.minX=-88.39927364829464&env.minY=26.260151322741677&env.maxX=-78.58298946860714&env.maxY=30.174796012581346&zh=true&gp=false&ev=Z&mr=1-12&bmo=1&emo=12&yr=all&byr=1900&eyr=2015
Thanks for pointing out the criteria for them to be officially countable. We'll see how things look in the next few years.
They have been present since before Hurricane Andrew in 1992. They were already nesting at the Deering Estate way back then! They are very nomadic so it is had to keep tabs on them. We have had them at our feeders here in Homestead but then they disappear. Roberto gets plenty of them at his feeders up to around 30 plus birds when he keeps feed present. What is interesting is that there are many young birds present when you see them. Matheson Hammock has a flock of them as well, I have seen young in that flock. Carlos S. gets them in west Kendal and they have nested there as well. It is hard to say how many are out there, time will tell.
Larry Manfredi
I photographed a nest at Whispering Pines Park near my house a couple years ago, but I don't know where I put the photo. I've had as many as 36 in my yard at one time. I've spoken to other people that get them in their feeders, and by the looks of things they are expanding and becoming more numerous. I just had someone last week show me a photo their wife took of a new bird at their feeder and they didn't know what it was. It was a munia of course. Rangel, if you want to earn $10 the hard way, I'll pay you to do the survey. I'll knock it off your tab from 2013. How can you turn that down!
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