Godlewski's Bunting
Emberiza godlewskii
This large bunting is a common sight in dry open areas such as fields and rocky slopes. The male is brown with a gray-and-brown head pattern that is unique within this species’ range. The female has a pale head with a ghost of the male’s pattern. Often found perched boldly on boulders, exposed branches, and telephone wires, from which the male sings a long jumbled song started off by a short, sharp introductory note.
Identification
The adult's head, neck, and breast are grey over-all with a brown or black eye stripe, "mustache", and crown. Its underparts and rump are an orange/buff wash and its back is mottled orange and black. The tail is black and orange above and white beneath, with a definite notch at the end. It has a sparrow-like beak which is black above and pale below. The legs and feet are light pink.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Emberiza godlewskii
- Authority
- Taczanowski, 1874
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Genus
- Emberiza
Range and habitat
It is found in China, Pakistan, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Myanmar, and Russia. Its natural habitat is temperate shrubland.
- Breeding range
- PAL : temperate to subtropical montane c, e Palearctic rocky slopes: e Kyrgyzstan, w Xinjiang (w China), sc Russia to Transbaikalia, Mongolia to c Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang and Hebei (ne China); in s to w, s, e Tibet, ne Arunachal Pradesh (ne India) to n Yunnan (sc China)
- Non-breeding range
- to cultivation at lower elevations
- Migration
- Resident species
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Russet-winged Schiffornis
Schiffornis stenorhyncha
A chunky, dark brown bird of the forest understory. Occurs in the lowlands from Panama to Venezuela and Colombia. Uniform color, but slightly warmer rufous on wings and crown. Fairly large hooked bill is reminiscent of a vireo. Skulky and difficult to see; most often detected by voice. Listen for three-parted whistled song with one long note followed by two shorter notes.
Bronze-olive Pygmy-Tyrant
Pseudotriccus pelzelni
A tiny, rotund flycatcher found singly in the understory of montane forest from Panama to Peru. Very nondescript plumage: darker olive above with a dull tawny breast and yellowish belly. Looks uniformly brownish in bad light. Usually stays low, where it perches quietly and sallies out to glean insects. Often detected by its snapping sounds and whirring wingbeats. Occurs from around 700–2,000 m, typically lower than Rufous-headed Pygmy-Tyrant but some elevation overlap.
Lowland Akalat
Sheppardia cyornithopsis
A small shy akalat found in the lower levels of tall forests, often in dark shady areas near water. Note the reddish-brown back and wings, the gray face, and the bright red-orange chest contrasting with a white belly. Almost always found in lowland forest, but a few local populations are found higher up in the foothills. Within its range, most likely to be confused with Forest Robin, but note Lowland Akalat’s plain gray face and distinctive vocalizations. Song is a series of clear, melancholy whistles given with slight pauses in between, “wheeer, gowheer,” as well as faster, more resonant and metallic series of whistles.
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