Chestnut-eared Bunting

Overview

The chestnut-eared bunting (Emberiza fucata), also known as the grey-headed or grey-hooded bunting, is a passerine bird in the family Emberizidae. Classified as Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, this species exhibits three recognised subspecies across its range.

Identification

• Plumage: Mostly brown with dark streaks; males feature a grey crown and nape, chestnut ear-coverts, and black and chestnut bands across the breast.
• Size: 15 to 16 cm in length.
• Voice: Song is a rapid twittering starting with staccato notes that accelerate into a distinctive two or three-note phrase; call is an explosive pzick.
• Subspecies variation: E. f. arcuata is darker with broader breastbands, while E. f. kuatunensis is darker and more rufous above with narrower breastbands.

Habitat

Preferred habitats include scrub, fields, and grassland. The breeding range spans from the Himalayas across China to south-eastern Siberia, Korea, and northern Japan, with wintering grounds in southern Japan, southern China, Taiwan, north-eastern India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia.

Did you know?

The specific epithet fucata is Latin for 'painted', derived from fucare, meaning 'to paint red'.