Pallas's Reed Bunting

Overview

Pallas's reed bunting (Emberiza pallasi), also known as Pallas's bunting, is a small passerine bird in the family Emberizidae. It is a migrant species that breeds across northern and central Asia to Mongolia and winters in southeast Asia, with the species currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Small passerine with a granivore-type bill.
• Male features a black head and throat, a white neck collar and underparts, and a heavily streaked grey back.
• Female is duller with a streaked brown head and less streaking below than the female reed bunting.
• Male song is described as a repetitive 'sherp'.

Habitat

The species is common in tundra scrub by water and also breeds in drier open areas such as open larch forest. It is a very rare vagrant to western Europe but has occurred as far west as Great Britain.

Diet

Its natural diet consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds.

Did you know?

The genus name Emberiza is derived from the Old German word Embritz, meaning "bunting".