Cinereous Bunting
Emberiza cineracea
The Cinereous Bunting (Emberiza cineracea) is a rare old world bunting found in 17 countries, weighing about 24 g. The cinereous bunting is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
About the Cinereous Bunting
The cinereous bunting is a bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. This species was first described by Christian Ludwig Brehm.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The cinereous bunting is a large (16.5–18 cm, 21–29.7 g), slim bunting with a long, white-cornered tail. The term cinereous describes its colouration. It is less streaked than many buntings and has a thick pale bill. It has a greyish back with only subdued dark markings, and a browner tint to the wings. The adult male's head is dull yellow, with a brighter moustachial line and throat. In the nominate race of south-west Turkey, the rest of the underparts are grey, but the eastern form E. c. semenowi has yellow underparts. Voice: The call is a harsh tschrip, and the song is a hoarse zru- zru-zru-zru.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Sweden, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Oman.
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, with peak activity in May. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Cinereous Bunting?
- The cinereous bunting is a large (16.5–18 cm, 21–29.7 g), slim bunting with a long, white-cornered tail. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Cinereous Bunting?
- The Cinereous Bunting is a small sized bird weighing about 24 g.
- Where can you see a Cinereous Bunting?
- The Cinereous Bunting occurs in 17 countries, including Türkiye, Greece, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Palestinian Territories.
- What birds look similar to a Cinereous Bunting?
- The Cinereous Bunting is most easily confused with the Cabanis's Bunting, the Somali Bunting and the Ochre-rumped Bunting.
- Is the Cinereous Bunting endangered?
- The Cinereous Bunting is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Cinereous Bunting for real
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