Pale-headed Munia

Pale-headed Munia belongs to estrildid finch native to eastern Indonesia and Timor-Leste. Habitats used include subtropical and tropical lowlands, dry shrubland, grassland, marshes and agricultural areas. Notable features include recently crossed the Wallace Line to establish breeding populations on Nusa Penida, and is now recorded on Bali. Notable features include also become an increasingly frequent vagrant in northwestern Australia from the 2020s onward, with arrivals likely aided by monsoon winds and cyclones. (Wikipedia, general species account).

The species has shown recent range expansion due to increasing agriculture and land clearance. The species' historical range includes central and south Sulawesi, Kalaotoa, Madu, and the Lesser Sundas, excluding Bali. The pale-headed munia was only recently added to the official list of birds resident on the island of Timor, where it is generally assumed to be indigenous, having possibly just evaded notice during previous official bird surveys. (Wikipedia, general species account).