Cinereous bunting
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (September 2024) |
| Cinereous bunting | |
|---|---|
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| Adult male | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Emberizidae |
| Genus: | Emberiza |
| Species: | E. cineracea
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| Binomial name | |
| Emberiza cineracea Brehm, 1855
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The cinereous bunting (Emberiza cineracea) is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. This species was first described by Christian Ludwig Brehm.
Range
[edit]It breeds in southern Turkey and southern Iran, and winters around the Red Sea in north-eastern Africa and Yemen. A few isolated populations maintain a foothold within European borders, on Greek islands in the Aegean Sea, especially Lesbos.[2]
Habitat
[edit]The cinereous bunting breeds on dry stony mountain slopes.
Description
[edit]The cinereous bunting is a large (16–17 cm), slim bunting with a long, white-cornered tail. The term cinereous describes its colouration. It is less streaked than many buntings and has a thick pale bill. It has a greyish back with only subdued dark markings, and a browner tint to the wings.
The adult male's head is dull yellow, with a brighter moustachial line and throat. In the nominate race of south-west Turkey, the rest of the underparts are grey, but the eastern form E. c. semenowi has yellow underparts.
Females are brownish grey above with a whitish throat and yellow only in the moustachial stripe. Young birds have a plain pale belly and streaking on the breast.
Foraging and breeding
[edit]Like other buntings, the cinereous bunting feeds principally on seeds. It takes insects especially when feeding its young. Its normal clutch is three eggs.
Song
[edit]The call is a harsh tschrip, and the song is a hoarse zru- zru-zru-zru.
References
[edit]- ^ BirdLife International (2021). "Emberiza cineracea". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T22720912A205540097. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T22720912A205540097.en. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
- ^ "Lesvos: A birdwatcher's paradise full of rare species | eKathimerini.com". www.ekathimerini.com. 2024-11-05. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- Buntings and Sparrows by Byers, Olsson and Curson, ISBN 1-873403-19-4
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