EMBERIZA.
Bill short, more or less stout and conical, with a knob on palate ; food, seeds, fruits, insects; cup nest on ground or in bushes or hole in wall; eggs reddish white, greyish white, or buffy grey, marked with dark blotches and spots, and usually with tortuous and angular lines or scribblings. The brighter colours of the summer plumage almost obscured after moult by buff or grey tips to the new feathers.
Emberiza calandra L. CORN BUNTING. Fr. Bruant Proyer ; Ger. Grauammer ; Ital. Strillizo ; Swed Kornsparf. ? Above greyish brown, streaked ; beneath creamy white spotted or streaked on throat, breast, and flanks ; no white on tail. After moult darker and often yellowish on underparts. Bill yellowish, brown along top of culmen. Legs and feet yellowish brown. \Ving 6 89-103, ? 83-1o1. Tarsus 24-26. Bill 10-12.
Breeds.—British Isles ; Europe from S. Sweden to Mediter ranean and Islands, N.\V. Africa, Canary Islands, C. and S. Russia to Caucasus ; also W. Asia. Partially migratory ; occurs in winter in Egypt.
Various subspecies described are not satisfactorily separable.
Emberiza citrinella citrinella L. YELLOW HAMMER. Fr. Bruant jaune ; Ger. Goldammer ; Ital. Zigolo giallo ; Gulsparf.
d Above olive brown with dark streaks, rump and upper tail coverts cinnamon, crown and face yellow with some green tips ; throat yellow, traces of malar stripe (sometimes fully developed) purple red ; underparts yellow, tipped olive green on breast, and sometimes purple red band in front of green ; flanks streaked purple brown. Bill blue-grey. Legs and feet brown. Wing d 80-92, 9 80-89. Tarsus 18-19. Bill 9-1o. 9 Above darker with dark streaks on crown, paler yellow below with dark grey stripes on throat and upper breast and larger streaks on flanks.
Breeds.—British Isles, N. and C. Europe (in Norway to N.) south to Pyrenees, N. Spain, Austria, Hungary, Macedonia, Bul garia, and Montenegro. Partly migratory ; occurs in winter in Mediterranean, S. Spain (rare), Portugal, Italy, Sicily, Turkey, N.W. Africa (occasional).
E. citrinella erythrogenys Brehm. Greyer and less olive on upper parts ; wing coverts, secondaries and tail feathers with paler margins.
Breeds.—E. Prussia, N. and C. Russia east to Urals and south to Caspian and Caucasus ; and in Siberia. Occurs in winter S. Russia to Italy.
Emberiza leucocephala Gmelin. PINE BUNTING.
a Above reddish brown streaked with black, rump and upper tail coverts chestnut, crown grey brown, white in centre, face and throat chestnut, ear coverts white ; beneath, foreneck and abdomen white, chest and flanks pale chestnut with white tips. Bill brown, paler below. Legs and feet brown. Wing 8' 9o-95, 9 82-91. Tarsus 19-20.5. Bill from skull 10.5-12 (W.). 9 Above greyer, ear coverts brown, no white on crown, rump chestnut, but none on face and little or none on throat. Much as 9 "citrinella," but yellow replaced by white. Young much as 9, rump chestnut, throat and breast pale buff, a faint reddish tinge on breast and flanks with dark streaks.
A Siberian bird which has occasionally occurred in Europe, from C. Russia to Fair Isle, Belgium, and France.
Emberiza melanocephala SCOpOli. BLACK-HEADED BUNTING.
8' Crown and sides of head black (obscured by brown tips after moult) ; back, scapulars, and sides of breast chestnut ; upper tail coverts yellowish ; beneath bright yellow ; occasionally throat more or less black, yellow sometimes extends round neck to form a collar. Bill dark brown, paler below. Legs and feet brown. Wing a 92-99, Y 84-92. Tarsus 21-23. Bill 11-13. 9 Above light brown with dark streaks, rump slightly yellow ; beneath brownish buff, tinged with (sometimes quite) yellow. Young like 9. Under tail coverts are yellow at all ages.
Europe ; Greece to Dobrudscha and Balkan Peninsula west to Italy, especially Adriatic coast and Liguria. Also S.W. Asia. To \V. and N. of breeding range only an occasional visitor. Migrates to S.E. and winters in India.
Emberiza luteola Sparrman.
6^ Head and throat orange cinnamon, back yellowish green, upper tail coverts and underparts yellow. Bill bluish-grey, at tip brown above, whitish below. Legs and feet brownish flesh. Wing 87-9o. Tarsus 21. Bill 12-13 (H.). 9 Above grey brown, striped black, rump and upper tail coverts tinged yellowish ; beneath pale brown, lower abdomen and under tail coverts tinged yellow.
A S.W. Asiatic species ; has occurred in Italy and Heligoland. "Often seen in Constantinople Market" (Braun).
Emberiza aureola Pallas. YELLOW-BREASTED BUNTING.
d' adult, summer. Above dark chestnut, median wing coverts white, forecrown, face and throat black ; beneath yellow with dark chestnut gorget and flank streaks. In winter, black on head and throat is lost, and chestnut feathers are margined grey. Bill dark brown above, pale brown below. Legs and feet light brown. Wing ,S 75-So, 9 70-74. Tarsus 20-22. Bill 9-11.
Upper parts grey brown, with black streaks, crown with light mesial stripe, sides dark brown tinged chestnut, rump chestnut, median wing coverts dark brown, tipped dull white ; beneath yellow (with grey brown tips after moult), with dark streaks on flanks and ill-defined gorget. Young like 9 but no chestnut tinge on head or rump ; breast streaked like flanks.
An Asiatic species whose summer range extends into N.C. and E. Russia from Northern Dvina south to ; in autumn occasional in \V. and S. Europe, but chief migration movement is to the eastward.
Emberiza cirlus L. CIRL BUNTING. Fr. Bruant zizi; Ger. Zaunammer ; Ital. Zigolo nerd.
g summer. Crown (streaked black), neck, lesser wing coverts, rump, upper tail coverts and chest band olive green ; back, scapulars (streaked), and sides of breast chestnut ; lores, post-ocular stripe, and upper throat black ; eyebrow, lower face, throat band, and abdomen yellow. Winter, black of throat
hidden by grey tips to feathers, and upper parts generally duller. Bill dark above, bluish below. Legs and feet brownish. Wing d 74-83, y 72-80. Tarsus 18-21. Bill 8-u. y Above more grey brown streaked, lesser wing coverts olive green, throat yellow, chest band duller green, breast yellow tinged cinnamon, abdomen yellow.
Breeds.—S. England, Belgium, France, S.W. Germany, Italy, Croatia, Balkans, S. Russia to Caucasus, Greece, Mediterranean Islands, Spain and Portugal, N.W. Africa (Tunis to Morocco) ; also Asia Minor. Accidental in Malta. Rare Egypt. Largely a resident bird.
Subspecies described are not considered separable.
Emberiza hortulana L. ORTOLAN. Fr. Bruant-ortolan ; Ger. Gartenanamer ; Ital. Ortolano.
d adult. Above olive brown, striated ; crown, face, sides of and hind neck, and chest greenish grey, throat and eye-rim yellow, abdomen cinnamon. Bill reddish flesh. Legs and feet brownish flesh. Wing d ? 79-87. Tarsus 19-22. Bill 9-11. ? duller, head less green and striated, throat yellow, sides of throat and chest striped. Young : brown striated ; traces of yellow on throat and cinnamon on abdomen ; almost in distinguishable from young " caesia," but throat whiter and less streaked.
Breeds.—Europe north to Arctic Circle and south to Mediter ranean ; Morocco ; in Russia east to Urals, and south to Caucasus ; also through N. Asia. Migrates ; occurs on passage Britain, Malta, Sardinia, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt ; has been found in winter in Abyssinia.
Emberiza buchanani Myth.
Above browner and striated on mantle ; scapulars• cinnamon on outer webs ; throat grey, breast and abdomen • cinnamon, no grey on chest. Measurements as in hut wing usually about 2 m.m. shorter. 9 throat brown.
An Asiatic species which has occurred in S.E. Russia ; Crimea, Orenburg, Caucasus.
Emberiza caesia Cretzschmar.
j Back and scapulars reddish brown with dark streaks ; crown, face, hind neck, and chest blue grey ; lores, eye-rim, and throat cinnamon-buff ; abdomen reddish cinnamon. Bill brown above, paler below. Legs and feet yellowish brown. Wing 83-86. Tarsus 20. Bill 19-20 (H.). 9 duller, crown browner, throat and chest dull buff streaked with dark brown. Young : reddish brown streaked, with traces of cinnamon on underparts.
Breeds.S.E. Europe ; Crete, Greece to Dalmatia, and through Asia Minor to Caucasus. Occurrence in Europe west of Dalmatia exceptional. Migrates to N.E. Africa and S. Arabia.
Emberiza cia cia L. MEADOW or ROCK BUNTING. Fr. Bruant-fou ; Ger. Zipammer ; Ital. Zigolo muciatto.
j Above reddish brown with dark streaks, lesser wing coverts grey, middle with white tips, rump and upper tail coverts chestnut ; crown (with dark shaft streaks), face, ear coverts, sides of neck, throat, and chest blue-grey ; lores, lateral crown stripe, post-ocular stripe surrounding ear, and a malar stripe black ; breast and abdomen pale cinnamon. Bill dull plumbeous. Legs and feet yellowish brown. Wing a 9 74-84. Tarsus 19-21. Bill 8-1o. 9 paler, duller, browner on crown, throat and chest with dusky tips. Young much as 9, lesser wing coverts browner w ith grey tips.
Breeds.—S. Europe, north to Switzerland, S.W. Germany, Lower Austria and Transylvania ; also Asia Minor. Northern birds migrate. Rare visitor Britain, Holland, Belgium.
E. cia africana Le Roi. Paler on throat and abdomen, and grey on throat barely reaches to chest. Resident.—N.W. Africa, Morocco to Tunis.
E. cia par Hartert. Above paler, less red ; tips of middle wing coverts reddish buff. Wing somewhat longer, 84-91. An Asiatic race whose range reaches the Caucasus.
Emberiza cioides castaneiceps Moore.
4 adult. Crown, face, and ear coverts chestnut, throat and eyebrow white, lores and malar stripe black ; upper parts chest nut streaked black, rump and upper tail coverts chestnut; beneath pale buff, reddish band on breast. Wing ? 73-76 (H.). Young as in "cia," but wing coverts tipped buff not grey.
An Eastern form of "E. c. cioides," the W. Siberian race. Has occurred once in England.
Emberiza rustica Pallas. RUSTIC BUNTING. Ger. Waldammer ; Szefed. Videsparf.
Crown, face, and ear coverts black (in winter greyish tipped), post-ocular and occipital patch white ; upper parts chest nut with grey margins and some black streaks on back ; beneath white, chest band and streaks on flanks chestnut. Bill brown, yellowish below at base. Legs and feet flesh colour. Wing 75-83, ? 72-78. Tarsus 18-19. Bill 8-9. ? duller, browner with grey brown margins ; nape, rump, and upper tail coverts chestnut ; chest band incomplete.
Breeds.—N. Finland and N. Russia and across N. Asia. On migration occasional Sweden ; casual visitor elsewhere in Europe, west to Britain, south to France, Italy and C. Russia.
Emberiza pusilla Pallas. LITTLE BUNTING. Fr. Bruant nain ; Ger. Zwergammer ; Ital. Zigolo minore ; Swed. Dvhgsparf. ? Above brown with dark streaks, lesser wing coverts brown ; crown (banded on each side broadly with black), face and chin chestnut ; beneath white, streaked dark brown. Bill dark brown above, light below. Legs and feet brown. Wing 4.
66-7o. Tarsus 17-18. Bill 7-8.
Breeds.—N. Russia to 68° east of 30e E. and through Siberia. Occasional in autumn and winter from Scandinavia and Britain to Spain, Algeria, Malta, Turkey.
Emberiza striolata saharm Levai Ilant. HOUSE