Corn
Bunting, Emberiza calandra
Miliaria calandra, DE: Grauammer. En: Corn
Bunting, Es: Triguero, F: Bruant proyer
I: Strillozzo, NL: Grauwe Gors, No:
Kornspurv, SE:
Kornsparv
© http://www.ecosystema.ru/
The Corn Bunting, Miliaria calandra, is a passerine
bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group
now
separated by most modern authors from the finches,
Fringillidae. It is the sole member of the
genus Miliaria, although a few authorities place
it in the large genus Emberiza. |
Corn
Bunting, Emberiza calandra, singing male. Salles-la-Souce,
Aveyron, France
Photo: © Matthieu Gauvain (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Falcoperegrinus)
This is an unusual bunting because the
sexes appear similar in plumage, although the males
are approximately
20% larger than females. This large bulky bunting is
16–19 cm long, has male and female plumages similar,
and lacks the showy male colours, especially on the
head, common in the genus Emberiza. Both sexes look
something like larks, with streaked grey-brown above,
and whitish underparts.
The song of the male is a repetitive metallic sound,
usually likened to jangling keys, which is given from
a low
bush, fence post or telephone wires.
It breeds across southern and central Europe, north
Africa and Asia across to Kazahkstan. It is mainly resident,
but some birds from colder regions of central Europe
and Asia migrate
southwards in winter.
|
Corn
Bunting, Emberiza calandra or Miliaria calandra
in Spain.
Photo: Raúl
Baena Casado, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Emberiza_calandra.jpg
The Corn Bunting is a bird of open country
with trees, such as farmland and weedy wasteland. It
has declined
greatly in northwest Europe due to intensive agricultural
practices depriving it of its food supply of weed seeds
and insects, the latter especially when feeding young.It
has recently become extinct in Ireland, where it was
previously common.
Its natural food consists of insects when feeding young,
and otherwise seeds.
Males defend territories in the breeding season and
can be polygynous, with up to three females per breeding
male. The population sex ratio is generally 1:1, which
means some males remain unmated during a season.
Males play only a small role in parental care; they
are not involved in nest building or incubation, and
only
feed the chicks when they are over half grown.
The nest is made of grass, lined with hair or fine
grass, and is usually built on the ground.
Average clutch size is 4, but commonly varies from
3 to 5, occasionally 6.
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Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana 
En.
Ortolan Bunting, Da. Hortulan, Du. Ortolaan, Fi. Peltosirkku,
Fr. Bruant ortolan,
Ge. Ortolan, It. Ortolano, No. Hortulan, Sp. Escribano hortelano,
Sw. Ortolansparv
PT: Sombria, TR: Kirazkusu, HU: Kerti sármány,
CZ: strnad zahradní, EE: Poldtsiitsitaja, SK: strnádka
záhradná,
© http://www.ecosystema.ru/
©
- josef hlasek
The
Ortolan, or Ortolan Bunting, Emberiza hortulana,
is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae,
a passerine
family now separated by most modern authors from the
finches, Fringillidae.
The bird's common name is French, from the Latin hortulanus,
the gardener bird, (from hortus, a garden).
A native
of most European countries and western Asia.In the
autumn the Ortolan migrates
to tropical Africa,
returning at the end of April or beginning of May.
Its distribution throughout its breeding-range seems
to be very local, and for this no obvious reason can
be assigned. It was said in France to prefer wine-growing
districts;
but it certainly does not feed upon grapes, and is
found equally in countries where vineyards are unknown.
It reaches as far north as Scandinavia and beyond
the Arctic Circle, frequenting corn-fields and their
neighbourhoods.
|
©
- josef hlasek
|
It is
an uncommon vagrant in spring and particularly autumn
to the British Isles.
The Ortolan
is 16 cm in length and weighs 20 to 25 grams. In appearance
and habits it much resembles its
congener the Yellowhammer, but lacks the bright colouring
of that species; the Ortolan's head, for instance,
is greenish-grey, instead of a bright yellow. The
somewhat monotonous song of the cock resembles that
of the Yellowhammer.
Ortolan
nests are placed on or near the ground; the eggs seldom
show the hair-like markings so characteristic
of most buntings' eggs.
Seeds
are the natural diet, but beetles and other insects
are eaten when feeding young.
|
©
- lubomir hlasek
|
The
species is in decline in at least ten European countries,
although the total population is estimated in 400,000-
600,000 pairs.
In
France it disappeared from 17 départements
between 1960 and 1980, and numbers have fallen in
another
seven départements. The 1992 estimation for
the French population is 15,000 pairs.
The
reasons proposed for this strong regression are habitat
degradation, reduction of nesting places, and
changes in the agricultural landscape. Hunting (in
particular in Landes) is responsible for taking about
50,000 birds per year (ten times the Ortolan population
of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands).
|
©
Lasse Olsson
|
It is
a protected species in Europe and its sale is illegal
in France , but Gascons still catch it by the end
of
summer to fatten it. This practice is politically
sensitive and one of the reasons for the regional
success of parties
like that of Hunters and Fishers.
In September
2007, the French Government announced that it intended
finally to enforce laws to protect the species that
have been on the statute books for eight years.
text:
http://en.wikipedia.org
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Reed
Bunting,
Sivspurv, Emberiza schoeniculus
En.
Reed Bunting, Da. Rørspurv, Du. Rietgors, Fi. Pajusirkku,
Fr. Bruant des roseaux,
Ge. Rohrammer, It. Migliarino di palude, No. Sivspurv, Sp.
Escribano palustre, Sw. Sävsparv
© http://www.ecosystema.ru/
©
www.ecosystema.ru/
The
Reed Bunting, Emberiza schoeniclus, is a passerine
bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now
separated by most modern authors from the finches,
Fringillidae.
The Reed Bunting is widespread throughout Europe and
east through Asia to Japan and China.
It is found in reed beds and shrubbery near marshes
and lakes being reliant on the type of vegetation that
grows in these wetter habitats.
Most
birds
migrate south in winter, but those in the
milder south and west of the range are resident.
|
 
 
The
nest is in a bush or reed tussock. 4-7 eggs are laid,
which show the hair-like markings characteristic of those
of buntings.
©
www.ecosystema.ru/
©
www.ecosystema.ru/
©
Lasse Olsson
The
Reed Bunting is a medium sized bird, 13.5-15.5 cm long,
with a small but sturdy seed-eater's bill.
The male has a black head and throat, white neck collar
and underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back.
The female is much duller, with a streaked brown head,
and is more streaked below.. |
Its
natural food consists of insects when feeding young, and
otherwise seeds.
©
Lasse Olsson
Rustic
Bunting, Vierspurv, Emberiza rustica
In:
Rustic Bunting Ca: Repicatalons rústic Da: Pileværling
De: Waldammer Es: Escribano rústico Fi: pohjansirkku
Fr: Bruant rustique It: Zigolo boschereccio Nl: Bosgors
No: Vierspurv Pt: Escrevedeira-rústica Sv: Videsparv
© http://www.ecosystema.ru/
Rustic Bunting in Japan
Copyright
2000 Hiroshi Nakayama
The
Rustic Bunting, Emberiza rustica, is a passerine
bird in the bunting family Emberizidae,
a group now separated by most modern authors from the
finches, Fringillidae. |
Rustic
Bunting in Japan
Copyright
2000 Hiroshi Nakayama
It breeds
across northern Europe and Asia.
It is
migratory, wintering in south east Asia, Japan,
and eastern China.
It is a rare wanderer to western Europe. |
Rustic
Bunting, Shetland Islands
http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk
It breeds
in wet coniferous woodland. 4-6 eggs are laid in a nest
in a bush or on the ground.
Its natural food consists of insects when feeding young,
and otherwise seeds. |
Rustic
Bunting, Shetland Islands
http://www.nature-shetland.co.uk
This
bird is similar in size to a Reed Bunting.
It has white underparts with reddish flank, pink legs
and a pink lower mandible.
The summer male has a black head with a white throat
and supercilium and a reddish breast band. |
©
Lasse Olsson
The female
has a heavily streaked brown back and brown face with
a whitish supercilium.
She resembles a female Reed Bunting, but has the reddish
flank streaks, a chestnut nape and a pink, not grey,
lower mandible.
Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org
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Yellow
hammer, Emberiza citrinella
En. Yellowhammer, Da. Gulspurv, Du. Geelgors, Fi. Keltasirkku,
Fr. Bruant jaune,
Ge. Goldammer, It. Zigolo giallo, No. Gulspurv, Sp. Escribano
cerillo, Sw. Gulsparv
© http://www.ecosystema.ru/
Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella
Photo
©
Jørgen Scheel
The
Yellowhammer is found throughout most of Europe and
extends eastwards into Siberia.
It is a bird of farmland and the countryside and has
suffered declining numbers in recent years. |
©
www.ecosystema.ru/
This
may be due to a combination of factors such as early
autumn ploughing and less use of bruised barley in
animal feed. In autumn and winter, Yellowhammers form
large flocks. |
©
Arthur Grosset
It
feeds mainly on seeds, especially grass seeds,
but, during the breeding season feeds on invertebrates
as can
be seen in the photo above. The nest is built
of dry grass and other vegetable matter and
is usually close to the
ground and well hidden.
The Yellowhammer has one of the most easily
remembered songs: "a little bit of bread
and NO cheese" |
©
www.vulkaner.no
Yellowhammer,
Emberiza citrinella, - just arrived, early
April. (Telemark, Norway)
There are some confusion on how the name is to be
spelled. There are two common versions according to
Google Search:
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Yellowhammer
|
Yellow
Hammer
|
| text |
430.000
|
923.000
|
| images |
13.000
|
287.000
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According to www.birdguides.com,
it shoud be Yellowhammer in one word.
BirdLife International, http://www.birdlife.org ,
doesn't really know, as they have
157 search results for Yellow hammer, and only 12
for Yellowhammer.
|
text this
page from Arthur Grosset
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Yellow-breasted
Bunting, No: Sibirspurv, Emberiza aureola
De:
Weidenammer, En: Yellow-breasted Bunting, Es: Escribano aureolado,
Fr.: Bruant auréole
It: Zigolo dal collare, Du: Wilgengors, Russian: Dubrovnik, Se: Gyllensparv
Yellow-breasted
Bunting, Emberiza aureola
© http://www.ecosystema.ru/
The Yellow-breasted Bunting, Emberiza aureola,
is an Eurasian passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.
This bird is similar in size to a Reed Bunting,
but longer-billed. The breeding male has bright yellow underparts
with black flank streaks, brown upperparts, black face and throat
bar, and a pink lower mandible. The female has
a heavily streaked grey-brown back, and less intensely yellow
underparts. She has a whitish face with dark crown,
eye and cheek stripes. The juvenile is similar, but the background
colour of the underparts and face is buff.
The call is a distinctive zick, and the song is a clear tru-tru,
tri-tri. |
It breeds in northeastern Europe and across northern
Asia. It is
migratory, wintering in southeast Asia, India,
and southern China. It is a rare but regular wanderer to western
Europe.
The Yellow-breasted Bunting breeds in open scrubby areas, often
near water, and it is very common in Siberia.
It lays 4-6 eggs in a nest on the ground. Its food consists
of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds.
It was formerly classified as a Near Threatened species by the
IUCN. But new research has shown it to be rarer than it was
believed. Consequently, it is uplisted to Vulnerable status
in 2008. |
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