Buntings · Perching birds
Little Bunting
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Emberiza pusilla
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Voice
Call
Jochem Verweij
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Call
Tim Vochten
How to recognize it
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13.5 cm, very small bunting
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Chestnut face, white eye-ring
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Black crown stripes and a fine dark rear border to the cheeks
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White underparts with thin dark streaking
About the species
The little bunting slips through northern wetlands and open conifer woods with a quiet, secretive manner. Its face is warm chestnut, but the rest of the pattern is finer than that first impression suggests — dark stripes above and a pale, streaked underside.
It usually stays low and is easy to miss until it gives its sharp "zik" call or a rolling song. The sexes look much alike, though the female is duller. In winter, it can spend a long time in southern Asia before moving north again.
It breeds in the far north of Europe and Asia, especially in tundra and marshy places near water. Seeds make up most of its diet, and insects become important when it is feeding young. It also uses agricultural land in some wintering areas.
Where to find
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Along reed-fringed pond edges or canal banks — Little Bunting often darts out onto a narrow open strip of ground to pick up seeds.
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In young spruce or pine stands with birch and willow, listen in the upper canopy for the thin «zik» call.
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On damp vacant lots and overgrown lawns, watch for short hops between grass and low shrubs as it feeds on seeds at ground level.
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At waterlogged woodland edges and thickets in low-lying ground, it is easiest to notice early in the morning when a male sings from a thin perch.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Emberiza pusilla Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Little bunting Encyclopedia article