Thai National Parks

Species of Thailand

Red-headed bunting

Emberiza bruniceps, Johann Friedrich von Brandt, 1841

(In Thai: นกจาบปีกอ่อนหัวแดง)

The red-headed bunting (Emberiza bruniceps) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.

It breeds in central Asia-Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia; Russian Federation (European Russia, Central Asian Russia), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. It is migratory, wintering in India and Bangladesh. Its status in western Europe, where it is a potential vagrant, is confused by escapes, especially as this species is more commonly recorded than the closely related black-headed bunting, despite the latter having a more westerly breeding range. Reports in Britain have declined dramatically over recent years, coinciding with the decline in Asiatic imports for the cage-bird trade.

The red-headed bunting breeds in open scrubby areas including agricultural land. It lays three to five eggs in a nest in a tree or bush. Its natural food consists of seeds, or when feeding young, insects.

This bird is 17 cm long, larger than reed bunting, and long-tailed. The breeding male has bright yellow underparts, green upperparts and a brownish-red face and breast.

The female is a washed-out version of the male, with paler underparts, a grey-brown back and a greyish head. The juvenile is similar, and both can be difficult to separate from the corresponding plumages of black-headed bunting.

The song, given from a high perch, is a jerky sweet-sweet-churri-churri-churri.

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Category / Seasonal Status

Wiki listed status (concerning Thai population): Accidental

BCST Category: Recorded in an apparently wild state within the last 50 years

BCST Seasonal status: Non-breeding visitor

Scientific classification

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Chordata
Class
Aves
Order
Passeriformes
Family
Emberizidae
Genus
Emberiza
Species
Emberiza bruniceps

Common names

  • Thai: นกจาบปีกอ่อนหัวแดง

Conservation status

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)

Least Concern (IUCN3.1)

Photos

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Red-headed bunting

Range Map

Distribution map of Red-headed bunting, Emberiza bruniceps in Thailand
  • Mae Ai District, Chiang Mai
  • Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai
Range map of Emberiza bruniceps in Thailand