From Opus

Male
Photo by Akiko Hidaka
Kanto, Japan, February 2007

Emberiza spodocephala

[edit] Identification

16 cm
Breeding male

• Head dark grey
• Yellow green and black markings between bill and eye
• Upperparts brown, heavily streaked with black

Photo by anonymous guy
Lamma Island, Hong Kong, March 2005

• Brown rump
• Dark brown tail
• Yellow-white underparts
• Fine dark brown flank streaks
• Pink stout bill
  

Female and young birds

• Weaker head pattern
• Olive-grey cheeks
• Weak creamy-white supercilium
• Underparts creamy yellow heavily streaked with dark brown.

[edit] Distribution

Eastern Europe and Asia
Eastern Europe: Finland
Asia: Russia, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Nepal, India, eastern and western Himalayas, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand

[edit] Taxonomy

Female
Photo by appendiculata191
Nam Kham Nature Reserve, Thailand, February 2011

[edit] Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies^[1]:

• E. s. spodocephala:

• Central and eastern Asia; winters to eastern China and Taiwan

• E. s. personata:

• Sakhalin and southern Kuril Island to Honshu; winters to Ryukyu Island

• E. s. sordida:

• Western China; winters to eastern India, northern Myanmar and northern Indochina

[edit] Habitat

Reedbeds and wetland scrub. Dense undergrowth beside streams and rivers in taiga areas. Also on farmland, close to water.

[edit] Behaviour

1st Winter Male coming into summer plumage
Photo by fthsm
Sakhalin Island, Russia

[edit] Breeding

It builds a nest in a tree or on the ground. The clutch consists of 4-5 eggs.

[edit] Diet

The diet consits mostly of seeds; the young are fed insects.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2011. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to August 2011. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/downloadable-clements-checklist
2. Avibase
3. Birdforum thread with discussion and pictures of younger Black-faced Bunting
4. Wikipedia

• List of references

[edit] External Links