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Black-faced Bunting

From Opus

MalePhoto by Akiko Hidaka Kanto, Japan, February 2007
Male
Photo by Akiko Hidaka
Kanto, Japan, February 2007
Emberiza spodocephala

Contents

[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 guyLamma Island, Hong Kong, March 2005
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

FemalePhoto by appendiculata191Nam Kham Nature Reserve, Thailand, February 2011
Female
Photo by appendiculata191
Nam Kham Nature Reserve, Thailand, February 2011

[edit] Subspecies

There are 3 subspecies[1]:

  • E. s. spodocephala:
  • E. s. personata:
  • Sakhalin and southern Kuril Island to Honshu; winters to Ryukyu Island
  • E. s. sordida:

[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 plumagePhoto by fthsmSakhalin Island, Russia
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


Listen in an external program
Recording by china guy, Jiuzaighou, Sichuan, China June 2011

[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

[edit] External Links

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