Little Bunting

Overview

The little bunting (Emberiza pusilla) is a small passerine bird in the bunting family that is found across the Palearctic region. It is a common and widely ranging species classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.

Identification

• Measures 12–14 cm in length with white underparts and dark streaking on the breast and sides.
• Features a chestnut face with a white malar stripe, black crown stripes, and a white eye-ring.
• Produces a distinctive 'zik' call and a rolling song described as 'siroo-sir-sir-siroo'.

Habitat

Breeds in open coniferous woodland, often with birch or willow, across the taiga of north-eastern Europe and northern Eurosiberia to the Russian Far East. It winters in the subtropics of northern India, southern China, and north-east Asia, and is occasionally found as a rare vagrant in western Europe.

Diet

Its natural food consists primarily of seeds, although it feeds its young insects.

Did you know?

The birds often remain in their winter quarters for a considerable time, with specimens recorded as late as March in Yunnan.