Kingdom Animalia Order Passeriformes Genus Emberiza Higher classification Emberiza | Phylum Chordata Family Emberizidae Scientific name Emberiza striolata Rank Species | |
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Similar Bird, House bunting, Emberiza, Cinereous bunting, Socotra bunting | ||
Striolated bunting emberiza striolata
The striolated bunting (Emberiza striolata) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.
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Distribution and habitat
It is a resident breeder of dry country from the Canary Islands, east through south-west Asia to north-western India.
It breeds in remote wadis (not around human habitation like the related house bunting), usually close to streams, laying two to four eggs in a nest on the ground or in a hole in the ground. Its natural food consists of seeds, or when feeding young, insects.
Description
It is 14 cm long, similar in size to the house bunting and smaller than the similarly plumaged rock bunting. The breeding male has a chestnut body, and grey head with darker streaking and a white supercilium and moustachial streak. The female's head has a brown tint to the grey, and more diffused streaking.
The striolated bunting has stronger facial striping and a paler belly than the north African house bunting, which used to be considered conspecific as the subspecies E. striolata sahari. Birds in eastern Chad (E. striolata jebelmarrae) show some evidence of intergradation with the house bunting.
The song, given from a perch, is similar, but weaker than, that of the common chaffinch.
Breeding
The breeding range of the bird in India has been noted in recent times to include more southerly locations such as near Saswad near Pune. The incubation period of the clutch of three eggs is 14 days.