Emberiza cirlus Linnaeus, 1767

Species Overview

The cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus Linnaeus, 1767) resembles a small yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella).

Size Measurements

It measures roughly 15.5 cm (6.1 in) in length, with a wingspan ranging from 22–25.5 cm (8.7–10.0 in).

Bill Adaptation

It has a thick bill adapted for eating seeds.

Male Plumage

Males have a bright yellow head, marked with a black crown, black eyestripe, and black throat; their underparts are mostly yellow, crossed by a greenish breast band, and their back is brown and heavily streaked.

Female Plumage

Females look much more similar to yellowhammers, but can be distinguished by a streaked grey-brown rump and chestnut shoulders.

Male Vocalization

The male's song is a monotonous rattling trill, similar to the song of the Arctic warbler or the terminal rattle of the lesser whitethroat.

Ideal Farmland Habitat

For this species, ideal farmland habitat is a mix of grass and arable fields, divided by thick hedgerows with patches of dense scrub.

Urban Tolerance

Cirl buntings can tolerate some level of urbanisation, and they live in green spaces within towns and cities, including Rome.

Movement Patterns

They are non-migratory and sedentary.

Foraging Ranges

In summer, they usually travel no more than 250 metres (820 ft) from their nests to forage; in winter, they travel up to 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) to find stubble.

Summer Chick Diet

In summer, cirl buntings feed their chicks on natural invertebrate prey such as grasshoppers and crickets.

Winter Adult Diet

In winter, they feed on small seeds taken from over-wintered stubbles, fallow land, set-aside, and grain or hay left for over-winter livestock feeding.

Winter Feeding Behavior

They typically feed in flocks during winter.