Black-headed Bunting
Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala ), male
The Black-headed Bunting (Emberiza melanocephala ) is a bird in the bunting family ( Emberizidae ). Often the brown-headed Bunting ( E. bruniceps ) is described as a subspecies of the Black-headed Bunting, since the two species are very closely related to each other. The brown-headed Bunting was found in Asia, and in border areas, there are often mixing between two species.
Description
The male in breeding plumage is characterized by a black head, a yellow breast band and a yellow, not striped underside. The back is maroon, and the tail does not contain white. In June-July by the male lives a partial moult, after which it has a brown head in the fall and the female is similar. It was only in November-December, it comes in full moult, which restores the breeding plumage.
The female has a brown head and a duller, olive-brown top. Of the females of other buntings, it differs by a unstriped bottom. From the very similar brown-headed bunting the male of the Black-headed Bunting can only be distinguished by the black cap. The females of both species are externally indistinguishable. The Black-headed Bunting is about as big as a house sparrow with a length of 16.5 cm.
Dissemination
The Black-headed Bunting lives in open sites with groups of trees and bushes. They are also found in olive groves or gardens. It is a migratory bird and breeds in southern Europe ( Italy and Greece to Turkey) eastwards to Iran. They wintered in northern India.
In Germany vagrants are reported again and again, who fly from southern Europe to southern Germany. The northernmost German message was a sighting in Wallnau on the island of Fehmarn in 2003.
Singing and food
The Black-headed Bunting feeds, according Ammernart, on seeds and insects to feed the young. The calls sound like a soft " tschup ", a loud " Zitt " and a deep, quiet " Zebra Technologies ". The song is a Light " irr irr irr Door teredüde ".
Brood
The rattle buntings take until the end of April or early May in the breeding areas. The nest is usually located slightly increased in bushes or brambles and consists of stalks and stems. It is upholstered with fine grass and hair. The breeding season begins mid May and runs until the end of June, in the year there is only one brood. The female lays 4-5 pale gray to brown, about 24 mm long eggs.