Cretzschmar's Bunting
Emberiza caesia
The Cretzschmar's Bunting (Emberiza caesia) is a rare old world bunting found in 20 countries, weighing about 20 g. Cretzschmar's bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
About the Cretzschmar's Bunting
Cretzschmar's bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This bird is smaller than ortolan. The breeding male has a grey head with orange moustaches. The upperparts are brown and heavily streaked, except on the rump, and the underparts are rusty orange. The stout bill is pink. Females and young birds have a weaker head pattern, and are more similar to ortolans. They can be distinguished by the warm brown rump and white eye-ring.
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in Norway, United Kingdom, Germany, Finland, France, Netherlands, Albania.
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, August, September, with peak activity in March. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Cretzschmar's Bunting?
- This bird is smaller than ortolan. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Cretzschmar's Bunting?
- The Cretzschmar's Bunting is a small sized bird weighing about 20 g.
- Where can you see a Cretzschmar's Bunting?
- The Cretzschmar's Bunting occurs in 20 countries, including Israel, Greece, Türkiye, Cyprus and Palestinian Territories.
- What birds look similar to a Cretzschmar's Bunting?
- The Cretzschmar's Bunting is most easily confused with the Crested Bunting, the House Bunting and the Pallas's Reed Bunting.
- Is the Cretzschmar's Bunting endangered?
- The Cretzschmar's Bunting is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Cretzschmar's Bunting for real
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