Red-headed Bunting
Emberiza bruniceps
Large, stocky bunting with a long tail. Rusty-red head and yellow body easily identify the breeding male; non-breeding male has restricted red on the head and a streaky brown back. Female and juvenile are pale brown with streaked back and wings; these plumages can be nearly impossible to separate from Black-headed Bunting. Look out for Red-headed’s less extensive crown streaking, less “compact” appearance (longer-billed and longer-tailed), less yellow underparts, and colder back coloration. Breeds in open dry spaces with scattered bushes; winters in agricultural fields. Song starts out with a few dry, rasping notes, then turns into a more fluid-sounding jumble.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Emberiza bruniceps
- Authority
- Brandt, JF, 1841
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Genus
- Emberiza
Range and habitat
- Breeding range
- PAL : temperate c Palearctic shrub-steppe to oases: sw Russia in Astrakhan, Kazakhstan (except far n) and se Orenburg (sc Russia) to nw Xinjiang (nw China) and far sw Mongolia; in s to nc, ne Iran, n, e Afghanistan and n Baluchistan, far w Pakistan through Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan
- Non-breeding range
- Indian fields: far w to nw, nc sub-Himalayan plains and through Indian Pen. (except ne)
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Nonggang Babbler
Stachyris nonggangensis
A medium-sized brown babbler with pale eyes and a lopsided white crescent bordering the back half of the cheek. Short-tailed and large-headed in profile. Dark coloration and relatively simple head markings make this species unique in its very restricted range. Highly selective in its habitat requirements: found only in seasonal karst-dominated rainforests, where it moves about in noisy flocks.
Elegant Tit
Periparus elegans
A small, common bird of forest and more open wooded areas from the foothills to the mountains. Has a yellow cheek and underparts, a black bib, cap, and wing, whitish blotches on the wing, and a black tail with a white tip and edge markings. The female is not as bright as the male. Unmistakable in range. Song consists of a medium-pitched whistle, followed by two high notes, repeated: “chuu chit-chit! chuu chit-chit! chuu.” Also gives nasal rasps typical of tits.
Yemen Warbler
Curruca buryi
Unusual and distinctive warbler of the southwest Arabian highlands. Gray-brown, with a darker cap, paler throat, and pale eye. Found in dry montane scrub and woodland, including juniper and acacia woodland. Generally skulking, but will sometimes come into the open. The song is a loud and distinctive, but variable, series of mix of musical warbled notes. Scratchy, scolding calls are often given on their own, but can also be mixed into the song. Similar in overall shape and size to several other warblers, but identified by the browner overall coloration, with more dusky underparts. Further separated from confusion species like Arabian Warbler by the pale eye.
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