Rock bunting

Emberiza cia

The rock bunting is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae.

The genus name ''Emberiza'' is from Old German ''Embritz'', a bunting. The specific ''cia'' is from a local Italian name for this bird, from ''zirlare'', "to chirp".
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Appearance

This bird is 16 cm in length. The breeding male has chestnut upperparts, unmarked deep buff underparts, and a pale grey head marked with black striping.

The female rock bunting is a washed-out version of the male, with paler underparts, a grey-brown back and a less contrasted head. The juvenile is similar to the female, but with a streaked head.

There are four races differing mainly in the plumage shades, although the subspecies which breeds in Europe, Africa and western Turkey is the only one to show white wing bars.
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Habitat

The rock bunting breeds in open dry rocky mountainous areas.
Rock bunting (Emberiza cia) Chefchaouen, Morocco. Sep 29, 2014. Emberiza cia,Fall,Geotagged,Morocco,Rock bunting

Reproduction

It lays three to five greyish eggs in a lined nest on the ground or occasionally in a low bush. Its natural food consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds.

References:

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Status: Least concern
EX EW CR EN VU NT LC
Taxonomy
KingdomAnimalia
DivisionChordata
ClassAves
OrderPasseriformes
FamilyEmberizidae
GenusEmberiza
SpeciesE. cia