Crested Bunting vs Pallas's Reed Bunting

Crested Bunting

Emberiza lathami

Small22 gGrassland

Males have a prominent crest, yellowish beak, black body plumage contrasting with the rufous flight feathers of the wing and tail. Females are shorter crested and have an overall dull-olive brown colour with dark brown streaks. The wing and tail feathers are fringed in cinnamon. Females have a grey beak. Non-breeding males are buffish grey and subadults have black tips to the rufous primary coverts. The species was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Melophus but DNA sequence based phylogenies showed it to be nested within other Emberiza species.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: Ben Costamagna · CC BY 4.0

Pallas's Reed Bunting

Emberiza pallasi

Tiny14 gShrubland

Pallas's reed bunting is a small passerine bird, similar to a small reed bunting and possesses a small granivore-type bill. The male has a black head and throat, a white neck collar and underparts, and a heavily streaked grey back (the reed bunting has a browner back). The female is much duller, with a streaked brown head, and is less streaked below than the female reed bunting. The song of the male is a repetitive sherp.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Recorded by Jochem Verweij · Flight call · Ögiy, O'giinuur, Arkhangai, Mongolia · CC BY-SA 4.0

Photo: observe-syz · CC0

Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Crested Bunting and Pallas's Reed Bunting.