Socotra Bunting Emberiza socotrana Scientific name definitions

13–14 cm; 13–16 g. Male has striking head pattern of black and white stripes  ; grey-brown mantle streaked blackish-brown, back  pale grey with blackish chevrons, rump pale grey with diffuse dark streaks; upperwing-coverts chestnut-brown, greater coverts with dark brown inner webs; flight-feathers dark brown with rufous outer margins; throat whitish, contrasting with rich cinnamon breast  , which grades into whitish on belly; iris dark brown; upper mandible dark brown, lower mandible horn-yellow  ; legs yellowish-horn. Distinguished from E. tahapisi by rich chestnut wing-coverts, whitish throat, rather pale (not cinnamon-washed) belly, and pale grey rump band, with black head stripes typically narrower, and a narrow black malar stripe. Female is slightly duller than male, with dark head stripes brownish-black, but often indistinguishable in field. Juvenile is much duller than adult, with grey-brown head stripes with darker streaks, cheekstripe washed brown, throat off-white, merging into warm buff-brown breast with faint darker streaking, belly creamy with buff wash on flanks; lower mandible pale horn, legs pinkish-brown.

Socotra I.

Diet mainly grass seeds . Forages on ground; also takes seeds direct from grass-heads. In small flocks in non-breeding season.

Little known; nest undescribed. Breeds during winter rains: males singing in late Nov through to Feb, female with brood patch in Feb, and recently fledged young observed in Feb and early Apr (1 Porter, R. F., and A. S. Suleiman (2013). The populations and distribution of the breeding birds of the Socotra archipelago, Yemen: 1. Sandgrouse to buntings. Sandgrouse 35(1):43–81. Close ). Singing males are clustered, and pairs are often close together during breeding season, suggesting that breeding is semi-colonial.

Not globally threatened. Currently considered Near Threatened. Restricted-range species: present in Socotra EBA. Rare and local. Considered at risk because of its tiny global range (c. 310 km²), low density and patchy distribution within its range. Based on transects conducted between 1999 and 2011, total population estimated to be 3770 birds (1 Porter, R. F., and A. S. Suleiman (2013). The populations and distribution of the breeding birds of the Socotra archipelago, Yemen: 1. Sandgrouse to buntings. Sandgrouse 35(1):43–81. Close ), roughly equivalent to 2500 mature individuals#R. Numbers thought to be stable, but may face threats from increasing grazing pressure and introduced alien predators, including feral cats, black rats (Rattus rattus) and small Indian civets (Viverricula indica).