Spermestes cucullata
With an adult weight of just 10g, the Bronze Mannikin is one of the smallest birds occurring in South Africa. These diminutive seed-eaters’ preferred habitat is grassy areas in moist woodlands, riverine thickets and on forest edges, and they have adapted well to planted suburbia, even expanding their range as a result. They are very dependent on an easily accessible supply of fresh drinking water.
A highly gregarious species, Bronze Mannikins breed through most of the year, excluding mid-winter, reaching a peak in summer. Both sexes co-operate to build the nest, the male bringing the grass to the female who puts together an untidy, ball-shaped structure in a bush or tree, or occasionally on buildings. Two to eight eggs are laid and incubated for about 2 weeks by both parents. The chicks are reared by both the male and female and become independent at 6 weeks of age. They frequently nest in suburban gardens. Outside of the breeding seasons small groups sleep together in larger nests built communally for the purpose.
Bronze Mannikins are common throughout their range, which extends over much of Sub-Saharan Africa, and is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. In South Africa they are abundant in Gauteng, North West, Limpopo, Mpumalanga and Kwazulu Natal, from there extending south-westwards along the coast as far as Port Elizabeth in the Eastern Cape.
DeWetsWild 
we stay in Kraggakamma area in Port Elizabeth on a small holding and have the pleasure to be visiter by around 30 of the Bronze Manikins. We are feeding wild bird seeds to a wide variety of birds in our garden. Very blessed
I am sure they bring you lots of pleasure, Charmaine. The little flock that visits our garden certainly does for us!
I have for many years encouraged the arrival of Swea waybills in my garden. They have become very tame and even call when I have forgotten to top up their feeders.
Gradually a pair of very shy bronzies arrived and within a month they seem to have taken over from the Sweas.
Are these two finches incompatible as it seems that the Sweas have become quite scarce.
What a wonderful achievement to attract both species to your garden, Wayne, and I can imagine that it is quite worrisome that one seems to be dominating the other. None of the literature I consulted makes any mention of aggression between the two species having been recorded, in fact most mention both species feeding and moving together in mixed flocks with other seed-eaters. Perhaps the disappearance of the Swee Waxbills from your garden is tied to the season?
We are living in Pta West and these guys are in our garden the whole day. Two fountains to choose from. Counted between 15 and 20 at a time.
They’re always welcome in our garden too! They’re very cheerful and busy little birds.
We’ve just bought an apartment in Ballito KZN (with a tiny garden!) and as soon as I managed to put up a bird feeder, the first visitors were these Bronzies. First just 4 or 5, then 10, then 15 and this week I counted 30 landing from surrounding trees. And you’re right, they are not easily bullied, even the Bulbuls wait till they’re gone before approaching. The only bird (so far) that rules the roost, is Mrs. Fiscal Shrike (Lanius collaris). Your Spekboom pics are amazing, can’t wait for mine to get big!
Thanks for the wonderful contribution, Maree, and I hope your new home brings you much joy – sounds like it already is! During the lockdown a family of about a dozen or so mannikins have been very welcome daily visitors to our little garden too and I’m going to miss their cheery tweets when I have to go back to the office.
This one looks like a Grosbeak in our part of the world. Excellent photos as usual.
Thanks, Hien. You are quite correct about their similar looking plumage, but I bet the tiny mannikins would be dwarfed by the Grosbeaks?
Great photos Dries. These cute little mannekins are regular visitory to the birdbaths scattered around my garden.
Thanks, Kim! We are also lucky to have them visit our small garden regularly, and that’s a real treat!
They look adorable 😍 lovely pictures. 😊 Thanks for sharing them 😊😊
Thanks for visiting with us again, Rainsinn!
Such a beautiful bird.😊 Is it theirs chicks in the first picture? I like the picture when the bird reflect in the water, good one.😊
Thanks very much, John!
No, those are adults just sitting deep inside our feeder-bowl. They really are tiny.
Ken hulle nie juis nie! Interessant.
In Afrikaans noem ons hulle “Frette”
Ek sien so. Nog nie die naam gehoor nie. Ek het lank saam met n ou oom(Toe ek nog jonk was) voëls gekyk en bespreek. Dit was nog in Potgietersrus. Kan wees dat frette dalk nie so sigbaar was nie.(Ek dink nou sommer hardop!)
I really like that first image. I suspect these photos have caught these little birds personalities very well.
Very kind of you, thanks P J B!
Bronze manikins are favourites in our garden – they flutter making the most cheerful sounds. I agree that they are voracious eaters, for the level in my feeder goes down noticeably whenever they come to visit!
And they don’t allow themselves to be bullied by the bigger birds at the feeders either!
Pretty.
janet
Thanks, Janet!
Pretty little guys! I like their color scheme.
We have two more kinds of mannikins in South Africa with very similar markings, making identification a challenge sometimes.
We had tornado and flash flood warnings two days ago and I texted my daughter to let her know. She immediately asked, “What happens to the tiny birds–especially the humming birds?”
Small animals are always vulnerable to storms. Have you ever studied what happens to them or if they have a way to protect themselves?
While I haven’t got any facts, figures or studies to back it up, I believe these little ones are hardier than we might imagine, Beth. We get some pretty hectic storms from time to time (though tornadoes are almost unheard of, thankfully!) and hardly ever see any birds that succumbed to the weather.
I had to Google the weight conversion. Goodness–this is a tiny one!
They’re really puny little things, Lois!
They are the most voracious visitors to our seed feeders! Very cute.
They seem to need a lot of fuel to sustain those busy, if tiny, bodies!