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EMBERIZIDAE

The Emberizidae family contains the Old World buntings. They are small seed-eaters with a finch-like bill. In addition to seeds they also eat insects, especially when feeding their young. The family also used to include New World brush-finches, juncos, New World sparrows and towhees which have been placed in Passerellidae.


Old World Buntings

Order Passeriformes   Family Emberizidae


The buntings on this page belong to the Emberizidae family. These buntings are predominantly found in the Old World and most belong to genus Emberiza. There are also birds called buntings in the Cardinalidae family.


Genus Calamospiza - 1 species

Bunting,_Lark     Calamospiza melanocorys Found: west North America
The Lark Bunting has short thick bluish bill; white patch on the wings. Breeding male has all black body. Females and nonbreeding males grayish-brown upperparts; white underparts with grayish-brown stripes.
Image by: 1) Scot Brim  2, 4, 7) Jerry Oldenettel - New Mexico and Colorado  3)   Jason Forbes - Colorado    5) J N Stuart - New Mexico   6) Tom_Benson - Colorado
1, 2, 3, 4) Female  5) nonbreeding male  6, 7) Breeding male




Genus Emberiza

Bunting,_Black-faced  Emberiza spodocephala  Found: Asia
The Black-faced Bunting has brown upperparts heavily streaked with black; brown rump; dark brown tail; yellowish-white underparts; fine dark brown flank streaks. Breeding male has dark gray head.
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi  2) Toshihiro_Gamo   3, 4) Hiyashi Halso  5) Lip Kee Yap - Kyoto, Japan   6) Materialscientist
1, 2) Female  4 - 6) Male



Bunting,_Black-headed  Emberiza melanocephala   Found: Europe, Asia
The breeding male Black-headed Bunting has chestnut upperparts; black hood; bright yellow underparts. Female has gray-brown back; grayish head; paler underparts.
Image by: 1) Andy Li  2) 57Andrews - China 3) Mark Jobling - Greece  4, 5) Jan_Svetlik



Bunting,_Brown-rumped  Emberiza affinis  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Ron Knight - Cameroon  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Gambia  3) Nik_Borrow - Ghana


Bunting,_Cape Emberiza capensis Found: Africa
The Cape Bunting has gray-brown upperparts with some dark streaks; chestnut wing  coverts; darker chestnut tail; black crown stripe ; white supercilium; black eye-line; white ear coverts
Image by:  1) Jim Scarff  - South Africa  2) Tod Boland - South Africa  3) Cristiano Crolle - Vingerklip, Namibia


Bunting,_Cabanis's  Emberiza cabanisi  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Dick Daniels - specimen in Nairobi National Museum, Kenya  2) Maans_Booysen - Angola


Bunting,_Chestnut  Emberiza rutila  Found: Asia
The breeding male Chestnut Bunting has bright chestnut-brown upperparts, head, neck; yellow breast, belly; stripes on flanks. Female has mostly dull brown upperparts with dark streaks; pale yellow underparts.
Image by:  1, 2, 3) Hiyashi Halso 
1) Female  2, 3) Male


Bunting,_Chestnut-breasted also White-capped Bunting  Emberiza stewarti  Found: Asia
Image by: 1, 4) Imran_Shah - Pakistan  2) Dibyendu  3) Hiyashi_Haka
1) Nonbreeding 2) Breeding


Bunting,_Chestnut-eared  Emberiza fucata  Found: Asia
The male Chestnut-eared Bunting has mainly brown plumage; gray crown and nape with dark streaks; chestnut ear-coverts; chestnut across breas; white eye-ringt. Females similar but duller with a less distinct head and breast pattern.
Image by: 1) Charles Lam - Hong Kong  2) Patko Erika  3) Watch-Bird
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Bunting_Cinereous  Emberiza cineracea  Found: northeast Africa, southwest Asia
The male Cinerous Bunting has grayish back with less streaking than most buntings; pale bill; dull yellow head; pale underparts. Female has brownish-gray upperparts; little yellow on the head.
Image by: 1) Mark Jobling - Greece  2) Michael Sveikutis - Turkey  3) Frank_Vassen - Greece


Bunting,_Cinnamon-breasted  Emberiza tahapisi  Found: Africa
The Gosling's Bunting was previously considered conspecific with the Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.
Image by: 1) Francesco Veronesi - Namibia   2) Johann du Preez - South Africa  3) Jack_246  4) Francesco_Veronesi


Bunting,_Cirl  Emberiza cirlus  Found: southern  Europe, northern Africa
The Cirl Bunting has heavily streaked brown back; black crown, eye-stripe, throat; yellow underparts with greenish breast band. Female has chestnut shoulders; streaked gray-brown rump.
Image by: 1, 3`) Paco Gomez - Spain  2, 4) Fra298
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Bunting,_Corn Emberiza calandra    Found: Europe, Asia, Africa 
The Corn Bunting has streaked gray-brown upperparts; whitish underparts; light eye-ring. It breeds across southern and central Europe, north Africa and Asia across to Kazahkstan. It is mainly resident, but some birds from colder regions of central Europe and Asia migrate southwards in winter.
Image by: 1) Andrej_Chudy - Hungary  Matthieu Gauvain   2) Mick Sway  3) JV Verde - Portugal  4) Blake Matheson - Iberia  5) Cristiano Crolle  - Monfrague, Spain

Bunting,_Cretzschmar's  Emberiza caesia  Found: Greece, eastern edge Mediteeranean
The breeding male Cretzschmar's Bunting has brown upperparts with heavy streaking; gray head with orange mustache; rusty-orange underparts; pink bill.
Image by: 1) Michael Sveikutis  2) Werner Witte - Turkey  3, 4) Jan_Svetlik


Bunting,_Godlewski  Emberiza godlewskii Found: Asia
The Godlewski Bunting has mottled orange and black upperparts; orange-buff underparts; gray head with brown or black eye-stripe, mustache, crown; gray throat; pink legs, feet.
Similar to: Rock Bunting. Rock Bunting has bolder head pattern than Godlewski Bunting.
Image by: 1) Jargal Lamjav   2) Alastair Rae 3) Sergey Yeliseev 4) Brendan_Ryan
1, 2) Female 3, 4) Male


Bunting,_Golden-breasted  Emberiza flaviventris  Found: Africa 
The male Golden-breasted Bunting has chestnut upperparts; gray rump; orange-yellow underparts becoming yellow on throat and whitish on lower belly; white median crown stripe then alternating black and white stripes. Female duller verion of male.
Image by: 1) Pius Mahimbi - Namibia  2) Sergey Yeliseev   3, 4) Derek Keats - South Africa  5) Joseph Mochoge - Gilgil, Kenya
1) Juvenile  2) Female  3, 4, 5) Male



Bunting,_Gosling's  Emberiza goslingi  Found: Africa
The Gosling's Bunting was previously considered conspecific with the Cinnamon-breasted Bunting.
Image by: 1) Nigel Voaden - Cameroon  2) Francesco_Veronesi - Gambia


Bunting,_Gray  Emberiza variabilis  Found: Asia
The Gray Bunting is found in the far eastern Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, Japan, Korea
Imge by: 1, 3) Hiyashi Halso  2) Watch_bird  4) M. Nishimura - Korea  5) Alpsdake



Bunting,_Gray-hooded also Gray-necked Bunting  Emberiza buchanani   Found: Asia
The Gray-hooded Bunting has grayish upperparts; gray hood; pink bill. Male has distinctive white eye-ring; whitish-pink throat; white "mustache". Female duller, but "mustache" might be whiter.
Image by: 1) Imran_Shah - Pakistan  2) Francesco_Veronesi  3) Prasad Basavaraj 


Bunting,_House  Emberiza sahari  Found: Africa
The breeding male House Bunting has sandy brown upperparts; gray head with faint streaks. Female's head has more brown tint to the gray; more diffused streaking.
Similar to: Striolated Bunting. House Bunting previously was subspecies of Stiolated Bunting. Striolated Bunting has white supercilium; House Bunting does not.
Image by: 1) D Gordon Robertson  2) Orientalizing - Morocco 3) MPF - Mprpccp  4) Christiaan_Kooyman  5) Mike_Price
1) Juvenile



Bunting,_Japanese Reed- also Ochre-rumped Bunting Emberiza yessoensis Found: Asia
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2) Ken  3) Sergey_Yeliseev


Bunting,_Lark-like  Emberiza impetuani  Found: Africa
Image by: 1) Alan Manson - South Africa  2) Charles Sharp - South Africa  3) Jerry_Oldenettel - Namibia  Charles_J_Sharp - Namibia
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Bunting,_Little  Emberiza pusilla  Found: Asia
The Little Bunting has heavily streaked brown back;  white underparts with fine dark streaking; chestnut face with black bordered cheeks; black crown stripes; white eye-ring.
Image by:  1, 3) Hiyashi Halso  2) Charles Lam  4) Dibyendu_Ash - India  5) MPF   6. 7) Lin_Sun_Fong



Bunting,_Meadow  Emberiza cioides  Found: eastern Asia
The male Meadow Bunting has mainly rufous-brown plumage; streaked upperparts; paler underparts; brown crown; white face with brown or black patterns; white throat. Female duler with less well defined head pattern.
Image by: 1, 3) Alpsdake  Kuro 4) Ron Knight - China 5) Harum Koh
1) Female  3, 4, 5) Male



Bunting,_Ortolan  Emberiza hortulana   Found: Europe, Asia, Africa
The Ortolan Bunting has brown upperparts; grayish head; yellowish-orange underparts; light eye-ring.
Image by: 1, 3, 5) JV Verde - Portugal    2) Andrej Chudy  4) Sergey Pisarevskiy - Russia  6) Kookaburra_81



Bunting,_Pallas's  Emberiza pallasi  Found: Asia
The male Pallas's Bunting has heavily streaked gray back; black head, throat; white nape, underparts. Female has brown head; heavily streaked brown back.
Similar to: Reed Bunting. Male Reed Bunting has brown back; male Pallas's has gray back. Female Reed Bunting ahs dark throat; female Pallas's Bunting has light throat. Breeding male has black and white head.
Image by: 1) Remi Bigonneau - South Korea  2) Hiyashi_Haka  3) Sergy Yeliseev - Russia  
1) Female   2) Male, nonbreeding  3) Male, breeding


Bunting,_Pine   Emberiza leucocephalos  Found: Asia
The male Pine Bunting has heavily streaked brown back; white crown, cheeks; chestnut forehead, throat. Female is duller and more streaked on underparts.
Image by: 1) Manoj_Sharma  2) Seergey Yelsieev  3) Jargal Lamjav


Bunting,_Red-headed  Emberiza bruniceps   Found: western Europe, Asia
The breeding male Red-headed Bunting has green upperparts; bright yellow underparts; brownish-red face, breast. Female has paler underparts; gray-brown back; grayish head.
Image by: 1, 2) Jan Svetlik - Kazakhstan 3) Ken and Nyetta - Kazakhstan 4) Alastair Rae
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male


Bunting,_Reed  Emberiza schoeniclus   Found: Europe, Asia
The male Reed Bunting has a black head, throat; white neck collar; pale streaked underparts; heavily streaked brown back.  Female is duller with streaked brown head and more streaked underparts.
Similar to: Palla's Bunting. Male Reed Bunting has brown back; male Palla's has gray back. Female Reed Bunting ahs dark throat; female Palla's Bunting has light throat.
Image by: 1) Ian-S  2, 4) Andreas Trepte   3) Andreas_Trepte  5) OldBilluk   6) Jimmy_Edmonds
1, 2) Female  3, 4, 5) Male




Bunting,_Rock  Emberiza cia  Found: Africa, Asia, Europe
The male Rock Bunting has streaked upperparts; unmarked deep buff underparts; pale gray head with black striping. Female paler than male.
Similar to: Godlewski Bunting. Rock Bunting has bolder head pattern than Godlewski Bunting.
Image by: 1) Andrej_Chudy - Spain   2) Ximo_Galarza  3) Agustín_Povedano 4) Q Ilex  5) Martien Brand - Europe 6) Cristobal Rueda 



Bunting,_Rufous-backed also Jankowski's Bunting  Emberiza jankowskii Found: Korea, Manchuria
Image by: 1) John Gerrard Keulemans  2) P_Khoo  3) Paul Holt  4) Pinned


Bunting,_Rustic  Emberiza rustica  Found: Europe, Asia
The Rustic Bunting has white underparts; reddish flanks; white supercilium; pink legs, lower mandible. Breeding male has black head; white throat; reddish breast band. Female has heavily streaked brown back, face.
Image by: 1) KjetilHansen - Agåa, Hedmark, Norway   2, 3) Hiyashi Halso  4) Aaron_Maizlish - California!  5) Alpsdake



Bunting,_Socotra  Emberiza socotrana  Found: Yemen
Image by: 1, 2) Henrik Gronvold  3) Werner_Suter
2) E. socotrana insularis


Bunting,_Somali   Emberiza poliopleura  Found: Africa
The Somali Bunting is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
Image by: 1) Patko Erika  2) Francesco_Veronesi - kenya  3, 4) Nik_Borrow


Bunting,_Striolated  Emberiza striolata  Found: northwest Africa, Asia
The breeding male Striolated Bunting has sandy brown upperparts; gray head with white supercilium' black eye-line,; moustachial streak.. Female's head has more brown tint to the gray; more diffused streaking.
Similar to: House Bunting. House Bunting previously was subspecies of Stiolated Bunting. Striolated Bunting has white supercilium; House Bunting does not.
Image by: 1, 2) Tarique Sani - India  3) Greg_Schechter
1) Male - left; female - right 2, 3) Male


Bunting,_Tibetan   Emberiza koslowi   Found: eastern side of Tibet plateau
The male Tibetan Bunting has chestnut upperparts; black crown; broad white eye-line; white supercilium, throat; black collar; gray underparts.
Image by: 1) Simon_Colenutt  2) Bernd_Kirschner  Tang Jun - Qinghai
1) Female 2, 3) Male


Bunting,_Tristram's  Emberiza tristrami  Found: Asia
Image by:  1, 5) Hiyashi Halso  2) Ainus - Taiwan  3, 4) Lin_Sun_Fong  - Taiwan  6 ) Nash_Chou
1 - 4) Female  5) Male 5) Breeding male



Bunting,_Yellow also Japanese Yellow Bunting  Emberiza sulphurata  Found: eastern Asia
The male Yellow Bunting has gray-green upperparts with dark streaks; yellow-green underparts; black lores; brown eyes;pale eye-rint; pinkish-brown feet; gray bill. Female similar to male but paler and no black lores.
Image by: 1) Hiyashi_Haka  2, 3, 4) Charles Lam - Taiwan 


Bunting,_Yellow-breasted  Emberiza aureola  Found: Europe, Asia
The breeding male Yellow-breasted Bunting has bright yellow underparts; black flank streaks; black face and throat bar; pink lower mandible. Female has heavily streaked gray-brown back; yellow underparts; light face with dark crown;
Image by:  1, 6) Martin Vavrik - Svjatoj Nos peninsula, Lake Bajkal  2) Frankie Chu   3,  4) Hiyashi Halso  5) Sergey Yeliseev - Altajskij, Russia 
1) Female  2) Nonbreeding male  3, 4, 5) Breeding male



Bunting,_Yellow-browed  Emberiza chrysophrys  Found: Asia
The breeding male Yellow-browed Bunting has a black head with white median crown stipe; yellow supercilium; black eye-arc; white moustacial stipe and throat. Female has weaker head pattern with brown instead of black. 
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4) Hiyashi Halso  4) Devonpike - Korea



Bunting,_Yellow-throated  Emberiza Elegans  Found: Asia
The Yellow-throated Bunting is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Myanmar, Russia, and Taiwan.
Image by: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) Hiyashi Halso



Yellowhammer  Emberiza citrinella  Found: Euorpe, Asia, New Zealand (introduced)
The male Yellowhammer has bright yellow head; yellow underparts; heavily streaked brown back. Female is duller, more streaked below.
Image by:  1) Estormiz  2) Sergey Yeliseev - Bulgaria  3) Alan Vernon - New Zealand  4) Marek Szczepanek
1, 2) Female  3, 4) Male



Genus Latoucheornis - 1 species

Bunting,_Slaty  Latoucheornis siemsseni  Found: China
Image by: 1) Dave_Curtis  2) Chong Qing  3) Roger Chen
1, 2) Female 3) Male



Genus Melophus - 1 species

Bunting,  Crested  Melophus lathami  Found: Asia
The Crested male Bunting has blue-black mantle, head, underparts, crest; chestnut wings, tail. Female has a brown body; pale throated; darkest on breast with narrow blackish streaks; light eye-ring. It is found in south and southeast Asia.
Image by: 1) killer_9394  2) Tarique Sani  3) Arasai - India   4) Shantanu_Kuveskar
1) Female 2, 3, 4) Male








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