Rustic Bunting
Rustic Bunting
Emberiza rustica
At a Glance
Several related species of buntings from Asia have strayed into Alaska. The most frequent of these, the Rustic Bunting, is a rare but almost regular migrant on the western Aleutians, mostly in spring, and shows up occasionally elsewhere in western Alaska. Fall and winter strays have also appeared at several points along the Pacific Coast south to California.
All bird guide text and rangemaps adapted from Lives of North American Birds by Kenn Kaufman© 1996, used by permission of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Category
Perching Birds
IUCN Status
Least Concern
Habitat
Shrublands, Savannas, and Thickets, Tundra and Boreal Habitats
Behavior
Flitter, Rapid Wingbeats
Range & Identification
Description
6" (15 cm). Chunky and reddish brown. Male has black head with white eyebrow and throat; female's head pattern paler and duller. Underparts white, with reddish brown band across chest and streaks on sides.
Size
About the size of a Sparrow, About the size of a Robin
Wing Shape
Broad, Long, Pointed
Tail Shape
Notched, Rounded, Square-tipped
Songs and Calls
Song a sweet, fluting warble recalling a longspur but more pure-toned. Call a very sharp, short, high tsic or tic.
Call Pattern
Complex, Rising, Undulating
Call Type
Chirp/Chip, Flute, Trill, Whistle
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