Rufous-crowned sparrow

Aimophila ruficeps

Photo J. Centavo (Flickr)

Common name:
rufous-crowned sparrow (en); escrevedeira-de-barrete-ruivo (pt); bruant à calotte fauve (fr); chingolo coronirrufo (es); rostscheitelammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is found in the south-western United States and Mexico, from Nebraska to northern California and south to Oaxaca in southern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and weigh 15-23 g.

Habitat:
The rufous-crowned sparrow is found in arid and rocky open areas, including dry grasslands and dry scrublands with scattered trees. They are also found to a lesser extent in pine and oak forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m.

Diet:
Outside the breeding season they feed primarily on the seeds of small grasses and forbs, fresh grass stems and tender shoots. During spring and summer they feed mainly on spiders and insects such as ants, grasshoppers, beetles and scale insects.

Breeding:
These birds are monogamous and pair bonds can remain over several years. They breed in March-August. The nest is a simple cup made of dry grass barks, twigs and hair, placed in a shallow concavity on the ground made by the birds. The female lays 2-5 bluish-white eggs, which she incubates alone for 11-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 8-9 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from the parents for some time after fledging.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
The rufous-crowned sparrow has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 2,4 million individuals. The population has undergone a small decrease over the last 4 decades, but is not threatened.

Plumbeous sierra-finch

Phrygilus unicolor

Photo by Mauricio Rueda (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
plumbeous sierra-finch (en); canário-andino-cinzento (pt); phrygile gris-de-plomb (fr); yal plomizo (es); bleiämmerling (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is found from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego, mostly along the eastern slopes of the Andes.

Size:
These birds are 13-15 cm long and weigh 20-25 g.

Habitat:
The plumbeous sierra finch is mostly found in high-altitude grasslands and scrublands, and also in pastures, at altitudes of 3.000-4.500 m.

Diet:
They feed on seeds, fruits, berries and buds.

Breeding:
Plumbeous sierra-finches nest in an open cup lined with fine plant materials and hairs, placed in a sandy cliff or crevices among rocks. There the female lays light blue-green eggs with reddish-brown spots, which she incubates alone for 2 weeks. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 3 weeks after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Yellow-billed cardinal

Paroaria capitata

Photo by Tadeusz Stawarczyk (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
yellow-billed cardinal (en); cardeal-do-pantanal (pt); paroare à bec jaune (fr); cardenilla (es); mantelkardinal (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is found in south-western Brazil, especially in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, and also in Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina, and marginally into southern Bolivia. The yellow-billed cardinal has been introduced to Hawaii.

Size:
These birds are 15-16,5 cm long.

Habitat:
The yellow-billed cardinal is mostly found  in moist scrublands, especially near swamps and marshes, and also in wet grasslands and along the shores of rivers and lakes. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 500 m.

Diet:
They eat various seeds, fruits and invertebrates.

Breeding:
Yellow-billed cardinals breed in October-February. The nest is a deep cup made of plant fibres and lined with rootlets and hair. It is placed low in a small tree or scrub. The female lays 2-4 white or cream-coloured eggs with brown streaks, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks fledge 10-15 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 2-4 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

White-throated sparrow

Zonotrichia albicollis

Photo by Simon Barrette (Wikipedia)

Common name:
white-throated sparrow (en); escrevedeira-de-garganta-branca (pt); bruant à gorge blanche (fr); chingolo gorgiblanco (es); weißkehlammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species breeds throughout most of Canada, with the exception of the northernmost areas and the western coast, and also in the north-eastern Unite States. They migrate south to winter throughout the eastern United States, along the western coast of the Unite States and through the southern United states into northern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 16-18 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-23 cm. They weigh 22-32 g.

Habitat:
The white-throated sparrow is found in temperate forests, especially in the undergrowth and along clearings and forests edges, in scrublands, rural gardens and in urban parks and large gardens.

Diet:
They mainly feed on seeds, buds, fruits and berries, but also some insects, especially when feeding the young.

Breeding:
White-throated sparrows breed in April-July. The nest is a cup made of grasses, wood chips, twigs, pine needles and rootlets, and lined with fine grasses, rootlets and hair. It is placed on the ground, among scrubs or near a tree or stump. The female lays 3-6 blue or greenish-blue eggs with dark markings, which she incubates alone for 11-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 7-12 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 140 million individuals. The population population has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades.

Blue-black grassquit

Volatinia jacarina

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
blue-black grassquit (en); tiziu (pt); jacarini noir (fr); negrito chirrí (es); jacarini (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is found from Mexico down to southern Peru and northern Argentina.

Size:
These birds are 10-11,5 cm long and weigh 9-10 g.

Habitat:
The blue-black grassquit is found in grasslands, scrublands and dry savannas, and also in arable land, pastures and within urban areas.

Diet:
They mainly feed on grass seeds, but will also take some insects and berries.

Breeding:
The blue-black grassquit can breed all year round. The nest is a deep cup made of plant fibres, placed among grasses tufts or in a low scrub. There the female lays 1-3 greenish or bluish-white eggs with reddish-brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for 9-13 days. The chicks fledge 10-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 50-100 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Black-throated sparrow

Amphispiza bilineata

Photo by Steve Berardi (Wikipedia)

Common name:
black-throated sparrow (en); escrevedeira-de-faces-listadas (pt); bruant à gorge noire (fr); chiero gorjinegro (es); schwarzkehlammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This North American species is found in the western United States, from Washington down to California, New Mexico and south-western Texas, and also in northern and central Mexico. The more northern population migrate south to winter along the southern parts of the range.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and weigh 11-15 g.

Habitat:
The black-throated sparrow is found in hot deserts with sparse vegetation and dry scrublands, from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:
These birds are omnivorous, mainly taking seeds during the winter months and insects during the breeding season. They eat the seeds from various scrubs, grasses and herbs, and insects such as grasshoppers, crickets ans cockraches.

Breeding:
Black-throated sparrows breed in April-August. The nest is a loosely built cup made of grasses and stems, and lined with plant fibres, animal hairs and feathers. It is placed on a scrub or cacti, typically less than 1 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-4 white or pale blue eggs, which are incubated for about 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10 days after hatching, but continue to receive food for another 1-2 weeks. Each pair raises 2 broods per season.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 27 million individuals. The population has undergone a large decline of 22% per decade over the last 4 decades.

Fox sparrow

Passerella iliaca

Photo by Simon Barrette (Wikipedia)

Common name:
fox sparrow (en); escrevedeira-fulva (pt); bruant fauve (fr); sabanero rascador (es); fuchsammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species is found breeding in most of northern and western Canada, as well as in Canada and in the western United States as far south as northern California, Utah and Colorado. Most population migrate to winter along the Pacific coast of the United States, in most parts of the eastern United States and in southern Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and northern Mexico.

Size:
One of the largest American sparrows, the fox sparrow is 15-19 cm long and has a wingspan of 26-30 cm. They weigh 27-49 g.

Habitat:
These birds breed in coniferous or mixed forests with dense undergrowth in both the boreal and temperate zones, but also in dry scrublands, chaparral and riparian woodlands. Outside the breeding season they are found in a wide range of forested habitats, especially along forest edges and areas with dense undergrowth.

Diet:
They forage on the ground, among the leaf litter and in bare ground, taking insects such as beetles, fly larvae, caterpillars, ants, bees, and scale insects, other invertebrates such as spiders, millipedes and molluscs, and the seeds, fruits and buds of a variety of plants such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, sedge, cinquefoil, buttonweed, serviceberry, pokeweed, red cedar, grape, witch hazel, ragweed, smartweed, and sorrel. During the breeding season, invertebrates make up most of their diet, while outside the breeding season they eat a similar portion of animal and plant foods.

Breeding:
Fox sparrows tend to be monogamous, solitary nesters. They breed in May-July, nesting in a cup made of twigs, dried grass, stems and bark, and lined with grass, animal hairs and feathers. The nest is typically placed on the ground, or in low branches, never more than 2 m above the ground. The female lays 2-5 pale bluish-green eggs with reddish-brown markings, which she mostly incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-11 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 16 million individuals. The population has has a stable trend over the last 4 decades.

made out of twigs, dried grass, stems, and bark.

Rufous-backed bunting

Emberiza jankowskii

(Photo from Serinus Africanos)

Common name:

rufous-backed bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-dorso-ruivo (pt); bruant de Jankowski (fr); escribano de Jankowski (es); Jankowskiammer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

This species is found in north-eastern China, in the provinces of Heilongjiand and Julin, in extreme north-eastern North Korea and marginally across the border into Russia.

Size:

These birds are 16 cm long.

Habitat:

The rufous-backed bunting is mostly found in temperate grasslands with scattered scrubs and small trees, and to a lesser extent in scrublands.

Diet:

They feed on the ground, eating the seeds of native grasses and scrubs.

Breeding:

Rufous-backed buntings breed in April-July. The nest is placed on the ground, near the base of a small tree or scrub. It is made of leaves and grasses and lined with hair. The female lays 4-7 greyish white eggs with purplish markings, which she incubates alone for 11-14 days. The chicks fledge 10-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - EN (Endangered)

This species has a relatively large breeding range, but the global population is estimated at just 250-1.000 individuals. Although accurate population surveys are lacking, there are reports of extremely rapid declines in many locations where the species was formerly abundant, suggesting a very rapid population decline of 50-80% in recent years. The main cause for this decline is habitats loss through the conversion of natural habitats for agriculture and pasture and possibly also forestry. Disturbance by humans and grazing cattle also cause low reproductive success. Fires and predation by snakes, rats and Amur falcons Falco amurensis may also have a negative impact on this endangered species.

Swamp sparrow

Melospiza georgiana

Photo by Richard Dumoulin (Oiseaux)

Common name:
swamp sparrow (en); escrevedeira-dos-pântanos (pt); bruant des marais (fr); sabanero platanero (es); sumpfammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
The swamp sparrow breeds across most of Canada from the Rocky mountains to Newfoundland and in the north-eastern United States south to Missouri, Ohio and Maryland. Most population migrate south to winter in the eastern United States from Connecticut and Michigan south to Florida and Texas, and also in northern Mexico.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-19 cm. They weigh 11-24 g.

Habitat:
The swamp sparrow is found in various wetland habitats, namely freshwater and tidal marshes, bogs, wet meadows, and swamps.

Diet:
During spring and summer they are mostly insectivorous, eating various aquatic invertebrates, but they also eat seeds and fruits, which become the main food source during autumn and winter.

Breeding:
Swamp sparrows are monogamous. The nest is a bulky open cup of dry grasses, sedges, plant stalks, and leaves, lined with fine grass, plant fibres, and occasionally hair. It is placed in dense cattails, grasses, or scrubs, or sometimes on the ground. There the female lays 2-6 green of bluish-green eggs with brown blotches, which she incubates alone for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 9 million individuals. The population has undergone a large increase of 16% per decade over the last 40 years, so the swamp sparrow is not threatened at present.

Missouri, Ohio, and Maryland,

Grasshopper sparrow

Ammodramus savannarum

Photo by Raymond Barlow (Lee's Birdwatching Adventures)

Common name:
grasshopper sparrow (en); escrevedeira-dos-gafanhotos (pt); bruant sauterelle (fr); sabanero chapulín (es); heuschreckenammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
This species breeds in most of the United States and in southern Canada. There are also some breeding populations in Central America, Colombia and the Caribbean. The more northern population migrate south to winter in the southern United States, Mexico and through Central America down to Panama. They also winter in Cuba.

Size:
These birds are 11-13 cm long and weigh 14-20 g.

Habitat:
The grasshopper sparrow is found in a variety of open habitats, namely grasslands, upland meadows, pastures, hayfields, abandoned fields and scrublands. They are found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.300 m.

Diet:
They mainly eat insects and seeds, mainly grasshoppers such as Xiphidium, Scudderia, Hippiscus, Melanopus and Cordillacris occipitalis. They also eat other insects, spiders and the seeds of sedges and panic grass.

Breeding:
Grasshopper sparrows breed in April-November. The female build a nest, a cup made of grasses, placed on the ground with a roof of grasses. There the female lays 3-6 white eggs with reddish-brown speckles. The eggs are incubated by the female for 11-13 days. The chicks leave the nest after 6-9 days but only start to fly a few days later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range, but the population has undergone a large decline of 65% over the last 4 decades, mostly due to habitat loss and fragmentation through the conversion of natural prairies into intensive agricultural land.

Xiphidium, Scudderia, Hippiscus, and Melanopus, but especially the grasshopper species Cordillacris occipitalis.

Xiphidium, Scudderia, Hippiscus, and Melanopus, but especially the grasshopper species Cordillacris occipitalis.

Corn bunting

Miliaria calandra

Photo by Lior Kislev (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
corn bunting (en); trigueirão (pt); bruant proyer (fr); triguero (es); grauammer (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae

Range:
These birds are mostly found in Europe, from Scotland and Denmark south to Portugal, Spain and Italy, and east to Poland, the Ukraine and Turkey. They are also found in the Canary islands, in north-western Africa from Morocco to Tunisia and in central Asia from southern Kazakhstan to Afghanistan. The corn bunting is mostly resident but some population migrate south to winter in Lybia, Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula.

Size:
These birds are 16-19 cm long and have a wingspan of 27-30 cm. They weigh 35-60 g.

Habitat:
Corn buntings are found in temperate grasslands and pastures, steppes and also arable land and mixed farmland. They avoid forested areas. This species is found from sea level up to an altitude of 500 m.

Diet:
They are primarily granivorous, taking grass seeds and agricultural grain, but they also eat other plant materials and will hunt insects to feed their young during the breeding season.

Breeding:
Corn buntings breed in February-July. They are polygynous, with each male mating with up to 18 females during the course of a breeding season. Each female builds its nest, a shallow depression on the ground, lined with dried grasses. There she lays 2-6 reddish eggs with large brown stains, which she incubates alone for 10-14 days. The male may sometimes help feed the chicks who fledge 9-12 days after hatching. 

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 30-130 million individuals. In Europe, where 50-75% of the population is found, the corn bunting has been declining at a moderate rate since the 1980s. This decline is particularly serious in north-western Europe, but it is also taking place in central Europe and is believed to be caused by changing agricultural practices and climate change. Extensive use of pesticides has reduced the numbers of arable weed species, an important food source for the adults, and insects, vital for rearing chicks.

Red-headed bunting

Emberiza bruniceps

Photo by Audevard Aurelien (Mango Verde)

Common name:
red-headed bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-cabeça-ruiva (pt); bruant à tête rousse (fr); escribano de cabeza roja (es); braunkopfammer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae


Range:
This species is found breeding in central Asia, from southern Russia and Kazakhstan to northern Iran and Afghanistan. They migrate south to winter in India.


Size:
These birds are 16-17 cm long and have a wingspan of 25-28 cm. They weigh around 25 g.


Habitat:
Red-headed buntings are found in open habitats, such as grasslands and steppes, scrublands, semi-desertic areas and oasis, and also in arable land. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.000 m.


Diet:
They feed on the ground, mainly eating seeds and other plant material, but during the breeding season insects and other invertebrates become an important part of their diet.


Breeding:
Red-headed buntings breed in May-July. The nest is a loose structure made of cereal stems and grasses, placed close to the ground in a dense or thorny shrub, vine or fruit tree. The female lays 3-6 eggs, which she incubates alone for 10-14 days. The chicks fledge 2 weeks after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. There is no information on population size, but the population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Double-collared seedeater

Sporophila caerulescens

Photo by Dario Sanches (Wikipedia)

Common name:
double-collared seedeater (en); coleirinho (pt); sporophile à col double (fr); corbatita común (es); schmuckpfäffchen (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae


Range:
This South American species is found in the throughout the southern half of Brazil and in Bolivia, Peru, northern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.


Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh around 10 g.


Habitat:
The souble-collared seedeater is mostly found in moist scrublands, but also in degraded patches of former forest, pastures, rural gardens and arable land. They are often found in rice paddies. This species occurs from sea level up to an altitude of 2.100 m.


Diet:
They mainly eat grass seeds, often taking rice seeds from rice plantations. They also eat fruits.


Breeding:
Double-collared seedeaters breed in October-May. The nest is a shallow cup made of grasses, rootlets and other plant fibres, placed in a tree or scrub a few metres above the ground. The female lays 2 eggs, which she incubates alone for 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-15 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be increasing as ongoing habitat degradation is creating new areas of suitable habitat.

Canyon towhee

Melozone fuscus

Photo by Joe Schelling (Natural Moments)

Common name:
canyon towhee (en); tico-tico-pardo (pt); tohi des canyons (fr); rascador pardo (es); braunrücken-grundammer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae


Range:
This species is found in the south-western United States, in Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, and in Mexico, down to Oaxaca.


Size:
These birds are 19-22 cm long and have a wingspan of 28-30 cm. They weigh 40-45 g.


Habitat:
These birds are found in arid scrublands, chaparral and pinyon-juniper woods, on desert foothills and canyons. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 3.100 m.


Diet:
During winter they mainly feed on insects, while during spring and summer insects become an important part of their diet. They also eat fruits and berries when available.


Breeding:
Canyon towhees are monogamous and may mate for life. The nest is a bulky open cup, made of twigs, weeds and grasses, and lined with leaves, fine grass, strips of bark, and animal hair. It is usually placed in a small tree, dense scrub, or cactus, 1-4 m above the ground. The female lays 2-6 whitish eggs with reddish-brown spots, which she incubates alone for 11-12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 9-10 days after hatching. Each pair may raise 2-3 broods per year.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 7 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Reed bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

Photo by Rob Belterman (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

reed warbler (en); escrevedeira-dos-caniços (pt); bruant des roseaux (fr); escribano palustre (es); rohrammer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

This species found breeding throughout Europe, and in northern Asia, from Siberia to the Caucasus, the northern slopes of the Himalayas, northern China and Japan. The northern population migrate south to winter in southern Europe and north-west Africa, the Middle East, northern India and southern China.

Size:

These birds are 13-16 cm long and have a wingspan of 21-26 cm. They weigh 16-22 g.

Habitat:

Reed buntings are found in a wide range of inland wetlands, including marshes, bogs, freshwater lakes, scrub-dominated wetlands and tundra wetlands. They can also be found in reedbeds bordering coastal wetlands such as coastal lagoons and estuaries.

Diet:

They mostly feed on seeds and other plant materials, but during spring and summer they also eat invertebrates such as snails, earthworms, flies, butterflies, caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers and spiders.

Breeding:

The reed bunting breeds in April-July. The female builds the nest, a foundation of stems and blades of sedges and grasses, lined with finer plant material, moss, rootlets, and sometimes hair or feathers. There the female lays 4-6 eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-15 days. The chicks fledge 10-12 days after hatching. Each pair raised 1-2 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population estimated at 30-100 million individuals. Population in Europe have undergone a moderate decline over the last 3 decades, but the species is not threatened.

Dark-eyed junco

Junco hyemalis

(Photo by from Wikipedia)

Common name:
dark-eyed junco (en); junco-de-olho-escuro (pt); junco ardoisé (fr); junco ojioscuro (es); junko (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae


Range:
This species is found breeding throughout Canada, Alaska, the north-eastern united States and the western United States. The northern population migrate south to winter throughout the United States and northern Mexico.


Size:
These birds are 14-16 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-25 cm. They weigh 18-30 g.


Habitat:
Dark-eyed juncos breed in coniferous forests including pine, Douglas-fir, spruce, and fir, but also in deciduous forests such as aspen, cottonwood, oak, maple, and hickory, from sea level up to an altitude of 3.000 m. During winter and on migration they use a wider variety of habitats including open woodlands, fields, roadsides, parks, and gardens.


Diet:
They mostly eat the seeds of weeds such as chickweed, buckwheat, lamb’s quarters, sorrel, but will also eat wild fruits and arthropods, especially during the breeding season, when they are known to take beetles, moths, butterflies, caterpillars, ants, wasps, flies and spiders.


Breeding:
Dark-eyed juncos breed in April-August. The female builds the nest, a cup-shaped depression on the ground, lined with grasses, pine needles and hair. There she lays 3-6 white, grey or bluish-white eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-13 days. The chicks fledge 10-14 days after hatching. Each pair raises 2 broods per season.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population of 260 million individuals. The populations has had a stable trend over the last 4 decades.

Pine bunting

Emberiza leucocephalos

Photo by Nial Moores (Birds Korea)

Common name:
pine bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-Gmelin (pt); bruant à calotte blanche (fr); escribano pinero (es); fichtenammer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae


Range:
This species is found in central and eastern Asia, from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan to China. They migrate south to winter in India and southern China.


Size:
These birds are 16-17,5 cm long and weigh 25-30 g.


Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in boreal and temperate forests, showing a preference for well-lit forests of conifers, or in some regions birches and other deciduous trees, but avoids riverine deciduous woods, as well as mountain taiga. They can also be found in grassy steeps with scattered trees, in orchards and arable land.


Diet:
They mostly eat seeds and other plant materials, but during the breeding season insects become an important part of the diet.


Breeding:
Pine buntings breed in May-August. The nest is on the ground, consisting of a cup made of stalks, rootlets, and dry grass, lined with soft grasses and very often with horsehair. The nest is often placed under a bush, grass tussock, or fallen branch. The female lays 4-6 eggs which are incubation for 13 days. The chicks fledge 10-14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Chestnut-eared bunting

Emberiza fucata

Photo by Josep del Hoyo (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
chestnut-eared bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-faces-castanhas (pt); bruant à oreillons (fr); escribano de capucha gris (es); graukopfammer (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Emberizidae


Range:
This Asian species is found breeding from the Himalayas, in northern Pakistan and India, through China and Mongolia, and into Korea and northern Japan. They migrate south to winter in southern Japan, southern China, Taiwan, north-eastern India and South-east Asia.


Size:
These birds are 15-16 cm long and weigh 18-20 g.


Habitat:
The chestnut-eared bunting is found in grasslands, scrublands, riparian vegetation and in agricultural areas.


Diet:
They mostly eat seeds of various grasses and other plants, but can also take insects and other invertebrates.


Breeding:
Chestnut-eared buntings breed in May-August. They build a cup-shaped nest on the ground, or in a low bush, where the female lays 3-6 pale greenish-grey or white eggs with brown speckles. The eggs are incubated for 12 days and the chicks fledge 12-14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common to locally common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Cinnamon-breasted bunting

Emberiza tahapisi

Photo by J.M. de Bruyn (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:

cinnamon-breasted bunting (en); escrevedeira-de-peito-canelado (pt); bruant cannelle (fr); escribano de pecho canela (es); bergammer (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Emberizidae

Range:

This species is found across much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia, through the D.R. Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, Angola and Malawi and down to South Africa.

Size:

These birds are 16,5-18 cm long and weigh 12-15 g.

Habitat:

Cinnamon-breasted buntings are mostly associated with rocky areas, preferring mountainsides, rocky ridges, dolerite and granite outcrops with scattered bushes and trees, bare rocky clearings in woodland, eroded stony slopes and gullies, dry watercourses and deserted borrow pits and quarries. They may also be found in areas of dry savanna, dry scrubland, dry grasslands and occasionally within urban areas.

Diet:

They forage on bare ground among rocks, eating the seeds of grasses and forbs, as well as insects such as beetles and termite alates.

Breeding:

Cinnamon-breasted buntings breed in October-June, with a peak in January-April. These monogamous, solitary nesters, build a shallow cup of grass, rootlets and fine twigs on a foundation of large twigs, neatly lined with fine grass and rootlets. The nest is typically placed in a shallow depression in the ground at the base of a grass tuft or rock, on an earthen bank, in a crevice in a small rock face or among scattered rocks in a hollow. There the female lays 2-4 eggs which are incubated by both parents for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents, fledging 14-16 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and is described as generally fairly common and numerous. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.