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Bunting (bird)
Encyclopedia
- For other uses, see buntingBuntingBunting can refer to:* Bunting , a group of birds* An infant sleeping bag* The act of laying down a bunt, a type of offensive play in baseball* Bunting , a lightweight cloth material often used for flags and festive decorations...
.
Buntings are a group of Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
n and African passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Emberizidae
Emberizidae
The Emberizidae are a large family of passerine birds. They are seed-eating birds with a distinctively shaped bill.In Europe, most species are called buntings. In North America, most of the species in this family are known as sparrows, but these birds are not closely related to the sparrows, the...
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They are seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
-eating bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
s with stubby, conical bills, and are the Old World
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
equivalents of the species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
known in North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as (American) sparrows
American sparrow
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
. (However, these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrow
Sparrow
The sparrows are a family of small passerine birds, Passeridae. They are also known as true sparrows, or Old World sparrows, names also used for a genus of the family, Passer...
s which are in the family Passeridae.)
Their habits are similar to those of finch
Finch
The true finches are passerine birds in the family Fringillidae. They are predominantly seed-eating songbirds. Most are native to the Northern Hemisphere, but one subfamily is endemic to the Neotropics, one to the Hawaiian Islands, and one subfamily – monotypic at genus level – is found...
es, with which they sometimes used to be grouped. Some emberizids are still named "finches" rather than "buntings". Conversely, there are species retaining the name "bunting" which are now classed in the cardinal
Cardinal (bird)
The Cardinals or Cardinalidae are a family of passerine birds found in North and South America. The South American cardinals in the genus Paroaria are placed in another family, the Thraupidae ....
family. Among those are the Painted
Painted Bunting
The Painted Bunting is a species of bird in the Cardinal family, Cardinalidae, that is native to North America.-Taxonomy:...
and Indigo Bunting
Indigo Bunting
The Indigo Bunting, Passerina cyanea, is a small seed-eating bird in the family Cardinalidae. It is migratory, ranging from southern Canada to northern Florida during the breeding season, and from southern Florida to northern South America during the winter. It often migrates by night, using the...
s.
Genera and species
In taxonomic order (but see Systematics section below).- Genus Melophus
- Crested BuntingCrested BuntingThe Crested Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family, from South and Southeast Asia. It is monotypic in its genus, Melophus. - Range :...
, Melophus lathami
- Crested Bunting
- Genus Latoucheornis
- Slaty BuntingSlaty BuntingThe Slaty Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family. It is monotypic within the genus Latoucheornis.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 26 July 2007....
, Latoucheornis siemsseni
- Slaty Bunting
- Genus EmberizaEmberizaEmberiza is a genus of passerine birds of the bunting family Emberizidae.-List of species:* Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella* Pine Bunting, Emberiza leucocephalos* Cirl Bunting Emberiza cirlus* Tibetan Bunting, Emberiza koslowi...
- true buntings- YellowhammerYellowhammerThe Yellowhammer, Emberiza citrinella, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is common in all sorts of open areas with some scrub or trees and form small flocks in winter....
, Emberiza citrinella - Pine BuntingPine BuntingThe Pine Bunting, Emberiza leucocephalos, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group most modern authors now separate from the finches, Fringillidae.-Breeding and habitat:...
, Emberiza leucocephalos - Cirl BuntingCirl BuntingThe Cirl Bunting , Emberiza cirlus, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
Emberiza cirlus - Tibetan BuntingTibetan BuntingThe Tibetan Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.-Range and population:Emberiza koslowi is restricted to the eastern part of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, in eastern Tibet and southern Qinghai, China, where several large valleys cut into the plateau, including those of the...
, Emberiza koslowi - Rock BuntingRock BuntingThe Rock Bunting, Emberiza cia, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.- Range :...
, Emberiza cia - Godlewski's BuntingGodlewski's BuntingThe Godlewski's Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.- Range :It is found in China, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Russia.-References:...
, Emberiza godlewskii - Meadow BuntingMeadow BuntingThe Meadow Bunting or Siberian Meadow Bunting is a passerine bird of eastern Asia which belongs to the genus Emberiza in the bunting family Emberizidae....
, Emberiza cioides - Rufous-backed BuntingRufous-backed BuntingThe Rufous-backed Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in China, North Korea, and Russia.Its natural habitats are temperate shrubland and temperate grassland.It is threatened by habitat loss....
, Emberiza jankowskii - Grey-hooded Bunting, Emberiza buchanani
- Cinereous BuntingCinereous BuntingThe 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 discovered by Hugh Edwin Strickland.- Range :...
, Emberiza cineracea - Ortolan BuntingOrtolan BuntingThe 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...
, Emberiza hortulana - Chestnut-breasted BuntingChestnut-breasted BuntingThe White-capped Bunting or Chestnut-breasted Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan...
, Emberiza stewarti - Cretzschmar's BuntingCretzschmar's BuntingThe Cretzschmar's Bunting, Emberiza caesia, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
, Emberiza caesia - House BuntingHouse BuntingThe House Bunting, Emberiza sahari, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.It is a resident breeder of dry country from northwestern Africa from Morocco south to Mali and east to Chad. The House Bunting breeds around human habitation, laying 2–4 eggs in a nest in a hole in a wall or...
, Emberiza sahari - Striolated BuntingStriolated BuntingThe Striolated Bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.- Distribution and habitat :...
, Emberiza striolata - Lark-like BuntingLark-like BuntingThe Lark-like Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, and Zimbabwe....
, Emberiza impetuani - Cinnamon-breasted BuntingCinnamon-breasted BuntingThe Cinnamon-breasted Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family. It is found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon,...
, Emberiza tahapisi - Socotra BuntingSocotra BuntingThe Socotra Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family. It is endemic to Yemen.Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical high-altitude shrubland. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
, Emberiza socotrana - Cape BuntingCape BuntingThe Cape Bunting, Emberiza capensis, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.-Taxonomy:There are a dozen subspecies, differing in plumage, but all have the distinctive head pattern and rufous in the wings. The northeastern race E. c. vincenti is very dark above, and slaty below. It...
, Emberiza capensis - Ochre-rumped BuntingOchre-rumped BuntingThe Japanese Reed Bunting or Ochre-rumped Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in China, Hong Kong, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia....
, Emberiza yessoensis - Tristram's BuntingTristram's BuntingThe Tristram's Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Laos, Myanmar, Russia, Mongolia, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.Its natural habitat is boreal forests....
, Emberiza tristrami - Chestnut-eared BuntingChestnut-eared BuntingThe Chestnut-eared Bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.-Description:...
, Emberiza fucata - Little BuntingLittle BuntingThe Little Bunting, Emberiza pusilla, is a passerine bird. It belongs to the bunting and American sparrow family , a group separated by most modern authors from the true finches .-Description:...
, Emberiza pusilla - Yellow-browed BuntingYellow-browed BuntingThe Yellow-Browed Bunting, Emberiza chrysophrys, is a passerine bird in the bunting family , a group now separated by most modern taxonomists from the finches ....
, Emberiza chrysophrys - Rustic BuntingRustic BuntingThe 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....
, Emberiza rustica - Yellow-throated BuntingYellow-throated BuntingThe Yellow-throated Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Myanmar, Russia, and Taiwan. Its natural habitats are temperate forests and subtropical or tropical dry forests.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . ...
, Emberiza elegans - Yellow-breasted BuntingYellow-breasted BuntingThe Yellow-breasted Bunting, Emberiza aureola, is an Eurasian passerine bird in the bunting family .This bird is similar in size to a Reed Bunting, but longer-billed...
, Emberiza aureola - Golden-breasted BuntingGolden-breasted BuntingThe Golden-breasted Bunting, Emberiza flaviventris, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It occurs in dry open woodlands in Africa south of the Sahara, but is absent from the equatorial forest belt.There are three subspecies:...
, Emberiza flaviventris - Somali Bunting, Emberiza poliopleura
- Brown-rumped BuntingBrown-rumped BuntingThe Brown-rumped Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal,...
, Emberiza affinis - Cabanis' Bunting, Emberiza cabanisi
- Chestnut BuntingChestnut BuntingThe Chestnut Bunting is a passerine bird of eastern Asia which belongs to the genus Emberiza in the bunting family Emberizidae....
, Emberiza rutila - Black-headed BuntingBlack-headed BuntingThe Black-headed Bunting, Emberiza melanocephala, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
, Emberiza melanocephala - Red-headed BuntingRed-headed BuntingThe Red-headed Bunting, Emberiza bruniceps, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.It breeds in central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in India...
, Emberiza bruniceps - Yellow BuntingYellow BuntingThe Yellow Bunting or Japanese Yellow Bunting is a passerine bird of eastern Asia which belongs to the genus Emberiza in the bunting family Emberizidae....
, Emberiza sulphurata - Black-faced BuntingBlack-faced BuntingThe Black-faced Bunting, Emberiza spodocephala , is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae....
, Emberiza spodocephala - Grey BuntingGrey BuntingThe Grey Bunting is a species of bird in the Emberizidae family.It is found in China, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States.Its natural habitats are boreal forests and temperate forests.-References:...
, Emberiza variabilis - Pallas' Reed Bunting, Emberiza pallasi
- Reed BuntingReed BuntingThe 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....
, Emberiza schoeniclus - Hannah bbycakez goodi, Emberiza Hannah
- Yellowhammer
- Genus Miliaria
- Corn BuntingCorn BuntingThe 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...
, Miliaria calandra
- Corn Bunting
- Genus PlectrophenaxPlectrophenaxPlectrophenax is a small genus of passerine birds of the longspur family Calcariidae.It has two members, which may be conspecific.* Snow Bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis* McKay's Bunting, Plectrophenax hyperboreus...
- Arctic buntings(form a group with longspurLongspurThe Longspurs, genus Calcarius, are a group of birds in the family Calcariidae. The name refers to the long claw on the hind toe of each foot. The genus formerly included the McCown's Longspur, Rhyncophanes mccownii, which is now placed in a separate genus.These are chunky ground-feeding birds with...
s rather distantly related to other emberizids)- Snow BuntingSnow BuntingThe Snow Bunting , sometimes colloquially called a snowflake, is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is an arctic specialist, with a circumpolar Arctic breeding range throughout the northern hemisphere...
, Plectrophenax nivalis - McKay's BuntingMcKay's BuntingMcKay's Bunting is a passerine bird in the longspur family Calcariidae. It is most closely related to the Snow Bunting . Hybrids between the two species have been observed, leading some authorities to treat McKay's as a subspecies of Snow Bunting...
, Plectrophenax hyperboreus
- Snow Bunting
The Lark Bunting, Calamospiza melanocorys is an American sparrow
American sparrow
American sparrows are a group of mainly New World passerine birds, forming part of the family Emberizidae. American sparrows are seed-eating birds with conical bills, brown or gray in color, and many species have distinctive head patterns....
.
The Lapland Bunting, Calcarius lapponicus, is also known as Lapland Longspur, and is considered under longspur
Longspur
The Longspurs, genus Calcarius, are a group of birds in the family Calcariidae. The name refers to the long claw on the hind toe of each foot. The genus formerly included the McCown's Longspur, Rhyncophanes mccownii, which is now placed in a separate genus.These are chunky ground-feeding birds with...
s.
Systematics
A recent paper has revealed some of the internal structure of the genus Emberiza dividing it into four main cladeClade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
s. Despite morphological divergences the genera Latoucheornis, Miliaria and Melophus were all found to be nested within Emberiza leading the authors to propose their synonymisation with that genus.
Clade A - Emberiza species: tristrami, variabilis, chrysophrys, aureola, pusilla, rutila, rustica, sulphurata, spodocephala, schoeniclus, pallasi, yessoensis, elegans, with "Latoucheornis" siemsseni.
Clade B - Emberiza species: leucocephalos, citrinella, stewarti, cirlus, hortulana, caesia, buchanani, cia, godlewskii, cioides, jankowskii, fucata, with "Miliaria" calandra.
Clade C - Emberiza species: melanocephala, bruniceps with "Melophus" lathami.
Clade D - Emberiza species: striolata, tahapisi, impetuana, capensis, flaviventris, cabanisi.
Buntings not yet tested and therefore still to be placed in this scheme include Emberiza species koslowi & cineracea (probably in clade B), and sahari, socotrana, poliopleura, and affinis (probably in clade D).
External links
- Bunting videos, photos and sounds on the Internet Bird Collection