Appearance:

Largely unmistakable. Chocolate brown body with small white dots. Wings and crown dark brown without spots. Tail dark with broad white edges/corners. Vent shiny white. Recognizable at long distance when in flight, by its peculiar flight pattern and profile. Fluttering, "inefficient" wing beats, short tail, long bill and often a throat bulging with seeds.

Sound:

Fairly silent. Warning call a characteristic dry and rasping "karrr karrr karr" in even pitch. Song a quiet improvisation of whistling and clappering sounds, interspersed with mimicry of other birds.

Alarm call:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Appearance:

All plumages differs from Reed Bunting, and most other buntings by; white belly, pale cheek-patch, flanks coarsely spotted in rufous red, rufous rump with no streaking, pale pinkish legs and lower mandible. Summer plumage male easily recognized by boldly rufous breast and contrasting black and white head pattern. Young male resembles females, and may breed before adult plumage is fully developed. Posture often erect when moving around on the ground. Crown feathers often erect. Flight pattern light and fluttering, and more even than in Reed Bunting.

Sound:

Contact call a short "zick", like Little Bunting, but slightly sharper. Song distinct and melodic: A soft, fluting phrase in an undulating rhythm. Integrated in the flute-like tones are high-pitched, dunnock-like bi-notes, especially towards the end of each phrase.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

CC-photo:Aaron Maizlish, Licence,Link.