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
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