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
Genus: Emberiza; Family: Emberizidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- 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
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds

Annam Limestone Babbler
Gypsophila annamensis
A large, chunky, scraggly-looking babbler found in limestone hills covered with forest. Gray and brown overall with heavy streaking on the head, back, and throat. Forages close to the ground, often in and around rocky cracks and crevices. Song is a loud, ringing, rather hoarse-sounding sequence of whistled notes including some repeated phrases, sometimes given as a duet by a pair. Also gives harsh “grrr” calls. Similar to Streaked Wren-Babbler, but larger and longer-tailed, with bolder striping on the throat and no white spots on the shoulder.

Buff-tailed Coronet
Boissonneaua flavescens
Medium-sized hummingbird, mostly dark green with obvious buffy underwing and mostly buffy tail. Fairly short, straight bill. Sexes similar. Found in cloud forest from Venezuela to Ecuador, mostly from 1,500–2,400 m. Usually forages in middle to upper levels of trees. Visits feeders, where it aggressively defends its territory against other hummingbirds.

Elegant Tern
Thalasseus elegans
Long-billed tern of the Pacific coast, from the U.S. to Chile. Pale gray above with shaggy black cap in breeding plumage; nonbreeding birds develop white forehead. Best field mark is the slender orange bill with a slight droop. Strictly coastal; commonly found on beaches and estuaries. Similar to Royal Tern but smaller and slimmer with a thinner bill. Harsh grating calls similar to other terns.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.