Page 455 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

BUNTINGS
Family Emberizidae Species Emberiza caesia Family Emberizidae Species Emberiza leucocephalus
Cretzschmar’s Bunting Pine Bunting

This is very like an Ortolan Bunting (see p.397) but Difficulties arise with intermediates between the Pine
rust-red on the throat and moustache where the Bunting and Yellowhammer (see p.398) but most pure
Ortolan is yellow.The head and chest are blue-grey, birds are identifiable. Males are easy, with their white
the back rufous-brown, and the underside a rich rust- crown and cheek, edged black and rufous; the back is
orange.Females are duller; both sexes have a white eye- rusty with black streaks and the underside whitish.
ring.The immature shows the eye-ring, black-streaked Females are greyer, with a less marked head; immatures
upperparts and broad, bright rusty edges to the tertials; have white underparts streaked grey,a white spot on
it is a richer, more rufous bird than a young Ortolan. the ear coverts, a white eye-ring, and white feather
OCCURRENCE Breeds in Greece, Crete, blue-grey edges on the wings (yellowish on Yellowhammer).
Turkey, and some Greek islands; very head OCCURRENCE Vagrant in NW Europe, late autumn
rare vagrant elsewhere. and winter, from Asia.
VOICE Sharp, short tsip note, very VOICE Metallic ticking notes,like Yellowhammer’s.
like Ortolan Bunting’s.
white cheeks
streaked rufous- MALE (WINTER) streaked,
brown above rusty back
MALE

Length 14–15cm (5 1 ⁄2–6in) Wingspan 23–26cm (9–10in) Length 16–17cm (6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 26–30cm (10–12in)

Family Emberizidae Species Emberiza melanocephala Family Emberizidae Species Emberiza aureola
Black-headed Bunting Yellow-breasted Bunting
This big bunting has easily identifiable males with a The summer males of this small, neat bunting are
black head,yellow chin,rufous back,and yellow under- distinctive, with a black and chestnut head, upperparts,
side; females and immatures are difficult to distinguish and breast-band, against bright yellow on the chest and
from vagrant or escaped Red-headed Buntings.Females belly,and a white shoulder patch.In autumn,immatures
have large grey bills, hooded grey-brown black are streaked brown, rather yellower or buff beneath,
heads, and pale yellow underparts, with head finely streaked, with two white wingbars; they have a
some rufous above (unlike Red-headed); pale central stripe on the top of the head, a broad pale
immatures are slightly more streaked, stripe over each eye, a pale band under
pale stripe
especially on the crown (more than the cheek, and a pale spot at the rear over eye
Red-headed) and rather bright above of the dark-edged ear coverts.
(Red-headed typically dull). OCCURRENCE Breeds from
OCCURRENCE Breeds in S Italy E Finland into Russia; rare
and Balkans; rare late summer migrant/vagrant in
vagrant in NW Europe. NW Europe in autumn.
VOICE Various metallic, VOICE Short, ticking
ticking calls; fuller tsik note.
accelerating song.
two wingbars
yellow yellow
underside or buff
MALE below
FEMALE

Length 16–17cm (6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 26–30cm (10–12in) Length 15–16cm (6–6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 8–9cm (3 1 ⁄4 –3 1 ⁄2in)
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