Gosling's Bunting Emberiza goslingi Scientific name definitions

13–15 cm; 11·1–15·6 g. Adult has plain grey throat (both sexes), and further differs from formerly conspecific <em>E. tahapisi</em> in having base of outer primaries and all except tips of inner primaries and secondaries rufous, with primary-coverts and alula fringed rufous, outer webs of tertials, greater and median coverts also rufous, and lesser coverts are entirely rufous. Female is duller and paler than male, with grey-brown head and throat streaked blackish brown, and facial stripes washed buff. Juvenile is similar to female, but even duller, with paler underparts. Formerly recognized race ‘septemstriata’ (see Taxonomy) is intermediate between nominate and E. tahapisi, with some rufous in wing (amount varies, but outer edges of primary-, greater and median coverts are cinnamon-rufous) and male’s throat is mottled grey and black.

• Cinnamon-breasted x Gosling's Bunting (hybrid) Emberiza tahapisi x goslingi

Mauritania and Senegal E to Cameroon, SW & E Sudan, NE South Sudan, Eritrea and N Ethiopia.

Mainly rocky hillsides, stony areas and erosion gulleys in wide range of habitats, from arid and semi-arid scrub to mesic woodland and treed savanna, provided adequate open ground present; sometimes at edge of dense woodland. Found also in sandy areas with no rocks, provided there is adequate bare ground. Favours degraded areas, including old fields and pastures; often seen also along paths and road verges. Usually near water in arid areas. In Nigeria, for breeding prefers areas with an abundance of bare rock and short grass, or in newly cultivated fields abundant grains and with little or no ground cover. Recorded to 1200 m in Sierra Leone and at 1675–1830 m in Cameroon; in E of range, recorded to 1750 m in Eritrea.

Resident, local nomad and partial migrant. In W Africa, generally moves N in rainy season and S in dry season, but there is also much local wandering; for example, in Mole National Park, Ghana, the species is apparently absent during rainy season (Jul–Sept), but it is seemingly present year-round in far N of Ghana. Perhaps only a visitor to Liberia. Report of vagrant (‘septemstriata’) in NE Egypt (Sinai) disputed.

Diet has not been described, but is presumably broadly similar to that of E. tahapisi. No differences known in foraging behaviour between the two species.

No evidence that it differs vocally from previously conspecific E. tahapisi. Study of present species’ song in NW Cameroon found that it is disjointed and consists of short (mean 1·2 seconds), relatively broadband (range 2·5–9·2 kHz) strophes repeated at a highly variable rate (2–14 strophes/minute); typically rendered “jajaja-titi” or “ti-jaa”, “yo-tsi”, “ti-rrrr-titi-ya-tsi” and “yaa-sisisi”. Each male has a single song type of 4–9 different syllable types, including buzzes, trills, whistles and complex notes, which differ in acoustic structure, but only eight different song types have been identified. Males from local groups tend to have slightly more similar songs than ‘strangers’ separated by a distance of > 500 m.

Season Jul–Jan (mainly Sept–Dec) in W Africa (with young in nest until at least Feb), and Nov–Jan in Sudan. Monogamous. Solitary and territorial (in Nigeria, territory size just 0·1–0·3 ha); male sings from prominent perch. Nest built by female, a cup of vegetation (55–75 mm by 10 mm), including grasses, twigs, dead leaves, rootlets and bark, lined with finer material, placed on ground against rock or at base of small bush or grass tuft; built in natural depression or excavates a shallow scrape with its body, and may use mud to cement material to ground. Clutch 2–3 (mean 2·6) eggs in Nigeria, pale greyish green with dark brown or violet spots concentrated at large end, size 16–23·2 mm × 12·1–13·4 mm; incubation by female alone, period 12 days; chicks fed by both parents, nestling period 12–15 days, fledge when 12–16·5 g; juveniles beg from adults on natal territory for three weeks after fledging. Mean breeding success 42% in Nigeria (mean 1·1 fledglings/nest), with 39% of eggs being predated, infertile or abandoned, some 29% of nestlings are also predated, 7% were killed by ants and 64% survived. Annual survival rate estimated at 52% in Nigeria.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Uncommon to locally common. Density 0·1–0·3 pairs/ha in Nigeria; even greater densities locally in N Nigeria. Range extended c. 290 km S in Ivory Coast since 1985, a result of climate change and/or habitat alteration. Persists on recently isolated habitat islands, suggesting that it is tolerant of habitat fragmentation. Caught for cagebird trade in some countries.