Chestnut-eared bunting facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chestnut-eared bunting |
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The Chestnut-eared Bunting (Emberiza fucata) is a small, colorful bird. It belongs to the bunting family, called Emberizidae. People sometimes call it the Grey-headed Bunting. The name Emberiza comes from an old German word for bunting. Fucata is a Latin word meaning "painted," which describes its pretty colors.
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What Does the Chestnut-eared Bunting Look Like?
This bird is about 15 to 16 centimeters long. That's about the length of a pen. Its feathers are mostly brown with dark stripes.
Male and Female Differences
Male Chestnut-eared Buntings have a grey head and neck with dark streaks. They have chestnut-colored patches near their ears. You can also see black and chestnut bands across their chest. Their shoulders and lower back are a reddish-brown color, called rufous.
Female buntings look similar to males. However, their colors are not as bright. Their head and chest patterns are also less clear. Young birds in their first winter are plainer. But they have warm brown ear patches and a clear ring around their eyes.
What Does It Sound Like?
The Chestnut-eared Bunting's voice is like the rustic bunting but quieter. Its song is a fast, chattering sound. It starts with short, sharp notes. Then it gets faster before ending with a special two or three-note phrase. Its call is a sudden pzick sound.
Where Do Chestnut-eared Buntings Live?
These birds live in many parts of Asia. They breed in the Himalayas and across China. You can also find them in southeastern Siberia, Korea, and northern Japan.
Migration and Habitat
Birds from the northern areas fly south for winter. They go to southern Japan, southern China, and Taiwan. Some travel to northeastern India, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia.
Sometimes, a Chestnut-eared Bunting might fly far off course. This is called being a "vagrant." In 2004, one was seen in Scotland. This was the first time it had been seen in Europe! These buntings like to live in places with bushes, fields, and grassy areas.
How Do Chestnut-eared Buntings Reproduce?
Chestnut-eared Buntings build their nests close to the ground. They might also build them low in a bush. Their nests are shaped like a cup.
Eggs and Breeding Season
Females usually lay three to six eggs. Four eggs are most common. The eggs are whitish with reddish-brown speckles. The parents sit on the eggs for about 12 days to keep them warm.
The breeding season changes depending on where the birds live. In India, it's from May to August. In Honshū, Japan, it's from May to July. In Hokkaidō, Japan, they breed from June to August.
Different Types of Chestnut-eared Buntings
There are three main types, or subspecies, of the Chestnut-eared Bunting.
- The first type is E. f. fucata. This one lives in the northern parts of the bird's range.
- The second type is E.f. arcuata. You can find this one in the Himalayas and parts of China. It is darker and has wider bands on its chest.
- The third type is E. f. kuatunensis. This subspecies lives in southeastern China. It is darker and more reddish-brown on top. It also has narrower chest bands.
