Golden-breasted Bunting
Emberiza flaviventris
A stunningly-colored bunting with a brilliant golden breast, a yellow throat, a boldly black-and-white striped head, a chestnut back, and white wingbars. When flushed, it shows white outer tail feathers. The female is duller. Pairs and small flocks are resident, but make local movements in arid savanna and broadleaf woodland, where they forage on the ground and fly up into trees when flushed or singing. The species has a mellow descending two-note “whit-wheeer” nasal call and a sweet, clearly whistled “tree-chee-tree-chee” song. The similar Brown-rumped and Somali buntings differ from Golden-breasted Bunting by having gray (not chestnut) shoulders and back of the neck.
Identification
The golden-breasted bunting is 15–16 cm long. The adult male has striking head pattern with a white crown, black lateral crown stripes, white supercilium and black-bordered white ear coverts. The underparts are orange-yellow becoming yellow on the throat and whitish on the lower belly. The upperparts are chestnut with a grey rump. The browner wings have two conspicuous white wing bars. The sexes are very similar, but females may have a buff tone to the white head markings and browner head stripes, and the back may have dark streaks. Young birds are duller and paler than the females.<p>There are three subspecies:<p>E. f. princeps is similar to the nominate subspecies, but larger, and paler below. E. f. flavigaster is more distinctive, having a paler, redder back, pale grey rump, paler yellow underparts and whiter flanks.
Taxonomy
Genus: Emberiza; Family: Emberizidae; Order: Passeriformes.
- Scientific name
- Emberiza flaviventris
- Authority
- Stephens, 1815
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Genus
- Emberiza
Range and habitat
This species is found in a variety of open woodlands. The subspecies flavigaster favours acacia steppe and savannah, with the other subspecies occurring in a wider range of lightly wooded country including gardens.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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A fairly large gray owl with small ear tufts. The eyes are dark brown. Found in a variety of woodland and savanna habitats, often around cliffs and other rocky areas. Frequently in pairs. Very similar to Spotted Eagle-Owl, but there is little range overlap, and Grayish is easily separated by its dark eyes. The call is a single short “hoooo.”
Five-colored Barbet
Capito quinticolor
Colorful barbet of lowland rainforest west of the Andes; scarce and declining in northwestern Ecuador, but more common in parts of southwestern Colombia. Male is black and yellow with red crown, white throat, and streaked flanks. Female is heavily spotted with black below, and has black and yellow streaking on head. Usually stays high in trees and often joins mixed-species flocks. Male sings a series of ten or more soft “boo” notes; he hunches over and looks like he’s retching while singing.
Storm's Stork
Ciconia stormi
Small dark stork with a white neck patch and a bright red bill. Also note bright yellow skin around the eyes. An uncommon and declining resident of waterside and swampy forest. Typically encountered singly or in small groups. Forages in wet forest clearings and on muddy riverbanks.
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