Lark-like Bunting
Emberiza impetuani
A dull, nondescript, slender buffy bunting. Subtle features include a rusty wing panel, a pale spot near the ear, a buffy eyebrow, and a small pale silvery bill. Pairs can be low-density residents, but typically the species is nomadic, and large flocks irrupt into the semi-arid Karoo, Kalahari, and Namib after rainfall events; but it may reach savanna and other atypical habitats, particularly in drier years. It prefers areas with bare stony soil and often is found close to pools of drinking water. The song is a short series of varied scratchy trills, but the distinctive flight call is short, dry, crisp one-note “tec” which often betrays its presence. It often flocks with other seedeaters, lacking the black belly patch of the otherwise similar female sparrow-larks.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Emberiza impetuani
- Authority
- Smith, A, 1836
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Genus
- Emberiza
Range and habitat
- Migration
- Nomadic movement
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
Malagasy Sunbird
Cinnyris notatus
Large, dark sunbird with a long, curved bill. Males are glossy green and black, while females are dark brown with heavy streaking below. Found in forest, plantations, gardens, and scrub. Active bird that feeds mainly on nectar. Common call is a simple “cheep,” sometimes repeated quickly. Dark males are distinctive. Females can be told from female Souimanga Sunbird by their larger size, larger bill, and heavy streaking below.
Black Turnstone
Arenaria melanocephala
Fairly small, stocky shorebird with short, chisel-like bill. Dark charcoal-colored overall with white belly. In breeding plumage, look for diffuse white eyebrow and small white patch on face. Bold black-and-white pattern is striking in flight. Restricted to the Pacific coast of North America, breeding on grassy tundra in Alaska and wintering regularly to southern Baja California. Found on oceanside rocks and jetties; essentially never seen inland. Typically in small flocks, often mixed with other rock-loving shorebirds like Surfbird. Compared with Ruddy Turnstone, Black Turnstone is, fittingly, much darker: it lacks the rufous tones and bold neck pattern of Ruddy. Also note Black Turnstone's duller legs.
Little Swift
Apus affinis
Small swift with a square-tipped tail, broad outer wings and sharply-demarcated white rump. White on the rump extends to the sides and is visible from below. Note the obvious contrasting white throat. Superficially similar to house-martins, but lacks a white belly. Breeds both in natural cliff settings and in urban areas where it nests on buildings. Very vocal, particularly near the nest, giving a constant descending trill.
Start Your Bird Watching Journey
Identify a bird outdoors and keep the field guide close for your next observation.