Page 398 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BUNTINGS
Order Passeriformes Family Emberizidae Species Emberiza pusilla
Little Bunting blackish
sides of
pale eye-ring crown rust-red
crown
and face
blackish corners
greyish forewings of cheeks
(rufous on Reed
Bunting)
buff, brown, and black
streaks on back sharp,
straight-
edged
MALE white edge bill
(SUMMER) of tail
pale crown white
stripe underside
with dark
rufous face streaks
IN FLIGHT
greyish
shoulders pale legs
MALE MALE
(WINTER) (SUMMER)

FEMALE

ather like a small Reed Bunting (and requiring great care when
Ridentifying migrants in autumn), the Little Bunting is a bird of
the far north. It breeds in the vast taiga zone with mixed coniferous FLIGHT: quick, weak, light flitting action with
and birch forest. Rarely, one or two may winter in western Europe. flicked tail and short bursts of wingbeats.
It is, like many buntings, very much a
ground bird most of the time, scuttling SPRING MALE
The rufous colouring over the entire
about on or very close to ground level even crown, face, and cheeks makes a
when disturbed. Generally rather quiet and summer adult eye-catching.
unobtrusive, it is easy to overlook.
VOICE Call short, sharp, ticking zik; song
short, high, mixed warble with clicking,
rasping, and whistled notes.
NESTING Nest of grass and moss, in
hollow on ground under bush; 4 or 5 eggs;
1 brood; May–June.
FEEDING Eats insects in summer; picks
seeds from ground in autumn.
SIMILAR SPECIES
OCCURRENCE
REED BUNTING 2 weak LAPLAND BUNTING Breeds in extreme NE Europe in
similar to 32; eye-ring juvenile; see p.402 open spaces in conifer forest.
see p.395
Autumn migrants rare on
bigger NW European coasts and islands,
rounded
bill even rarer inland, often in damp
rusty rump and places with weedy growth.
flank streaks
RUSTIC BUNTING 32; Seen in the UK
see p.452 short dark legs J F M A M JJ A S O N D
Length 12–13cm (4 3 ⁄4 –5in) Wingspan 18–20cm (7–8in) Weight 15–18g ( 9 ⁄16 – 5 ⁄8oz)
Social Small flocks Lifespan 2–3 years Status Secure†
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