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Bunting (bird) facts for kids

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This page is about the bird genus Emberiza in the family Emberizidae or "Old World buntings". For bird genus Passerina or "New World buntings", see Passerina.
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Bunting (bird)
Cirl bunting cropped.jpg
Cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Superfamily: Emberizoidea
Family: Emberizidae
Vigors, 1831
Genus: Emberiza
Linnaeus, 1758
Species

44, see text
Synonyms
  • Onychospina Bonaparte, 1853
  • Onychospiza Rey, 1872 (unjustified emendation)

Buntings are small, seed-eating birds found mainly in the Old World, which means Europe, Asia, and Africa. They belong to a group of birds called passerines, also known as perching birds. All buntings are part of the single genus called Emberiza. This genus is the only one in the bird family Emberizidae. Buntings have short, cone-shaped beaks that are perfect for cracking open seeds.

What are Buntings?

Buntings are known for their varied colors and often clear, simple songs. They live in many different places, from forests and grasslands to mountains. Most buntings eat seeds, especially in winter. In warmer months, they also enjoy eating insects. This helps them get enough protein for breeding.

Bunting Family Tree

Scientists group living things into families and genera. The family Emberizidae used to be much larger. It included birds now in other families, like the Passerellidae (New World sparrows) and Calcariidae (longspurs and snow buntings).

Scientists used DNA studies to learn more about bird relationships. These studies showed that the large Emberizidae family actually contained different groups. Because of this, these groups were then placed into their own separate families.

Naming the Buntings

The genus Emberiza is now the only one in the Emberizidae family. A Swedish scientist named Carl Linnaeus first described this genus in 1758. He wrote about it in his famous book, Systema Naturae. The yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) was chosen as the main example for this group. The name Emberiza comes from an old German word, Embritz, which means "bunting."

Some birds that were once in their own separate groups are now part of Emberiza. These include the crested bunting (Melophus lathami), the slaty bunting (Latouchiornis siemsseni), and the corn bunting (Miliaria calandra). All these species are now considered true buntings.

Buntings and Their Relatives

A big DNA study in 2019 looked at many passerine birds. It found that buntings are most closely related to the longspurs and snow buntings. These birds are in the family Calcariidae.

You might hear about "buntings" in the New World (the Americas). For example, the Painted Bunting is a very colorful bird. However, these birds are in a different family called Cardinalidae. They are not closely related to the Old World buntings.

List of Bunting Species

There are 44 known species of buntings in the Emberiza genus. Here are some of them:

One species of bunting is now extinct:

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Emberiza para niños

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Bunting (bird) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.