Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra Scientific name definitions

17–19 cm; c. 32–67 g. A heavily built, streaky, dull brownish bunting, distinctive in lacking conspicuous white in outer tail and in having bold dark streaking on both upper and underparts; bill stout, man­dibles with curving S-shaped cutting edges, strong pale legs. Nominate race has crown, nape and ear-coverts grey-brown to olive-brown, finely streaked darker, ear-coverts slightly warmer brown, paling towards centre; lores and supercilium indistinctly paler, whitish submoustachial stripe also finely streaked; upperparts grey-brown to warm brown with blackish streaking, streaking on rump and uppertail-coverts diffuse and greyer (in flight, weaker streaking makes rump and tail appear distinctly lighter brown than rest of upperparts); upperwing feathers dark brown, edged and tipped buffy or whitish-grey, tertials evenly edged pale (unlike other members of genus, on which pale edge widens towards tip); tail brown, outermost tail feathers with indistinct whitish tips; chin and throat whitish, bordered by narrow dark malar stripe; lines of bold dusky streaks extend from chest over most of whitish or pale buffish underparts , sometimes including undertail-coverts, streaks often coalescing to form blackish blotch at centre of breast; iris dark brown; bill pale yellowish, grey culmen ridge; legs yellowish-pink to light brown. Sexes similar, male significantly larger than female. Juvenile is very like adult, but warmer buff ground colour overall, crown darker at side and paler at centre, giving surprisingly strong pattern, legs clear pinkish or yellowish-pink; this plumage short-lived. Races differ mainly in general plumage tone and in thickness of streaking: clanceyi is warmer brown above and quite noticeably washed yellowish-buff on underparts; <em>buturlini</em> is decidedly grey-brown and whitish, with less extensive streaking than nominate.

Editor's Note: This article requires further editing work to merge existing content into the appropriate Subspecies sections. Please bear with us while this update takes place.

Open rolling grasslands, both in natural steppe and in agricultural land; tolerates scattered bushes, but avoids extensive bushy cover. Locally, found also in heathland and even, as in Germany, around abandoned sewage works and the like. Sward structure may be an important factor in habitat selection: birds nest in Scotland in tall dense grasses and cereals, selecting for sward density over height, and the variation in sward structure between crop types, and changes due to crop maturation or harvesting, largely explain seasonal patterns in crop use 2 Perkins, A.J., Maggs, H.E. and Wilson, J.D. (2015). Crop sward structure explains seasonal variation in nest site selection and informs agri-environment scheme design for a species of high conservation concern: the Corn Bunting Emberiza calandra. Bird Study. 62(4): 474–485. Close ; large inter-annual changes in density of breeding pairs in SW Spain, correlated with rainfall, have been also attributed to changes in sward structure 3 De Juana, E. and García, A.M. (2005). Fluctuaciones relacionadas con la precipitación en la riqueza y abundancia de aves de medios esteparios mediterráneos. Ardeola. 52(1): 53–66. Close . In non-breeding season, often in fallow fields and stubble fields, and roosts often in Phragmites reeds. Chiefly in lowlands; reaches 2600 m in subalpine meadows in parts of C Asia.

N & W populations mainly sedentary, as are those of Mediterranean Basin and Canary Is. Otherwise partially migratory, some of those breeding in C & E Europe moving S or SW to N Italy, S France and Spain, some reaching N Africa (Morocco, Libya and Egypt); farther E, C Asian birds move S, reaching Oman, S Iraq, S Iran and W Afghanistan. Autumn migration protracted, but complicated by wandering flocks which move only when cold weather sets in. In Israel two influxes reported, with through passage late Oct to mid-Nov, and arrivals mid-Nov to early Dec primarily of wintering birds. Vagrants have reached Faeroes, Norway (where last bred 1928), Finland, W Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, NW India, coastal Mauritania and NW Senegal.

Omnivorous, but chiefly plant seeds . In breeding season especially, diet includes high percentage of invertebrates , primarily small insects, including butterflies (Lepidoptera), also small spiders (Araneae), millipedes (Diplopoda), slugs, snails (Gastropoda) and earthworms (Oligochaeta). Extensive variety of seeds recorded in diet, from those of weeds and grasses, grains of wheat, barley and oats, to winged sycamore (Acer) seeds. Typically, feeds on ground, progressing in short hops; has been reported as picking over animal dung, also clumsily flycatching during emergences of flying ants (Formicidae). Sociable, may form flocks of several hundreds, occasionally more than 1000 individuals, outside breeding season in some parts of range. Tends to avoid close proximity of other bunting species; sometimes with E. citrinella, but, unlike that species, usually not closely associated with farming settlements in winter.

Song a bouncing jumbled outburst , sometimes likened to sound made by jangling of a bunch of keys, 2 or 3 notes followed by hurried discordant delivery of remainder, “tik tik zreeississ”, varying in length. In regions where this species has become rare, isolated individuals may sing perfect renditions of E. citrinella and even E. hortulana songs. Often flies with fluttering wingbeats, legs dangling, between songposts . Typical call a distinctive, clipped click, “pit”, rather subdued, most apparent when rapidly repeated 5–6 times; also a fuller “quip”.

Season often protracted, laying starting relatively late, from late May or early Jun, in NW of range, earlier in S; lowland populations in Israel commence late Feb, whereas those at higher elevations in same part of world begin laying in mid-Mar; one or two broods over most of range, regularly two or three in S England. Usually polygamous, males having up to as many as 18 females in territory, but often monogamous; bond between sexes not close. Nest built entirely by female, a loose construction of grasses , lined with finer grasses and rootlets, placed on ground amid clump of tangled grasses, brambles and arable weeds, or in depression in soil of arable field. Clutch 1–7 eggs , chiefly 4–6, white with light blue to buffish tinge, with diffuse dark speckling and some prominent blotches and scrawls; incubation by female alone, period 12–14 days; chicks fed by female, though male often in attendance, nestling period 9–13 days; young often leave nest before able to fly.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Widespread and abundant in much of range. No longer breeds regularly in Norway, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania; race clanceyi virtually extinct in W Ireland, and survives only on the Hebrides, in W Scotland. Has decreased in most European countries since 1930s, decline most apparent since mid-1960s in many places, late 1970s in others. Decrease considered due to intensification of agriculture, including changes in land use, earlier cutting of hay meadows, loss of hedgerows, more extensive use of pesticides, and climate change. Targeted agri-environment schemes have been used in Scotland to effectively reverse population declines 4 Perkins, A.J., Maggs, H.E., Watson, A. and Wilson, J.D. (2011). Adaptive management and targeting of agri-environment schemes does benefit biodiversity: a case study of the corn bunting Emberiza calandra. Journal of Applied Ecology. 48: 514–522. Close . Following estimates for W Palearctic populations (territories or pairs): in British Is 75% drop to 20,000 territories during 20 years to 1991; in Ireland sharp drop to fewer than 30 territories by 1993; in Sweden formerly common in S, but fewer than six territories by 1993; 11,000–120,000 pairs in Denmark in 1987 (decrease since then); 100,000–1,000,000 pairs in France in 1970s, stable but some local decreases; 3000–5500 pairs in Belgium in 1990, and decreasing; 20–200 pairs and decreasing in Luxembourg; in Netherlands long decline to 1100 pairs in 1975, 100–200 by 1989; in Germany 21,000–31,000 pairs in 2005, decrease marked, e.g. in Schleswig-Holstein 3000–4000 pairs in 1955 had dropped to 40 by 1987, but recent recolonization (155 pairs in 2010); 50,000–200,000 pairs in Poland; in Czech Republic marked decrease since 1960s, 700–1400 pairs in late 1980s; in Slovakia 4000–8000 pairs in early 1970s, decrease since; in Hungary 8000–12,000 pairs during 1980s; in Switzerland marked decrease to 200–250 pairs by early 1990s; marked decrease in many areas in Austria; in Italy 200,000–600,000 pairs, slight decrease; 100,000–1,000,000 pairs in Croatia; 1000–2000 pairs in Slovenia; 100,000–1,000,000 pairs in Bulgaria; 50,000–60,000 pairs in late 1980s in Romania; 1000–10,000 pairs in European Russia; 100–1000 pairs, stable, in Belarus; 4000–7000 pairs and decreasing in Ukraine; in Moldova 1500–3000 pairs in 1988, some decrease; in Spain 1,440,00–4,300,000 pairs, slight increase; in Canary Is present on most islands, declining; 100,000–1,000,000 pairs in Portugal; 70,000–100,000 pairs in Albania; in Greece 300,000–500,000 pairs, some decrease; in Malta 400–600 birds, decreasing; in Cyprus 40,000–60,000 pairs, stable; 1,000,000–10,000,000 pairs in Turkey; common locally in Azerbaijan; a few thousand pairs in Israel; very few in Jordan, first bred 1990; in Syria common in NW, fewer in E; in Morocco , Algeria and Tunisia common in N, stable. No indication of a decrease in the C Asian populations, but information sparse.