Passeriformes / Emberizidae / Emberiza
Rock Bunting
Emberiza cia · 淡灰眉岩鹀
Introduction
A passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It breeds in open dry rocky mountainous areas across northwest Africa, southern Europe, central Asia, and the Himalayas, with local breeding in central Europe. Partially migratory, with northern populations wintering south.
Description
Length is 16 cm. The breeding male has chestnut upperparts, unmarked deep buff underparts, and a pale grey head marked with black striping. The female 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 has a streaked head. The subspecies breeding in Europe, Africa, and western Turkey shows white wing bars.
Distribution & Habitat
Breeds in northwest Africa, southern Europe east to central Asia and the Himalayas, and locally in central Europe. Partially migratory, with northern populations wintering further south, mainly within the breeding range of resident southern populations. Rare wanderer to western Europe.
Behavior & Ecology
Lays three to five greyish eggs in a lined nest on the ground or occasionally in a low bush. Natural food consists of insects when feeding young, and seeds otherwise. The call is a sharp tseee, and the song is a twittering churrrr-chirrriiii-itt.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0
Taxonomy
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Genus
- Emberiza
Subspecies (6)
-
Emberiza cia cia
breeds central and southern Europe eastward to the Balkans and northern Türkiye, and southward to northwestern Africa
Data Sources
CBR Notes: 中文名由灰眉岩鹀改为淡灰眉岩鹀
Species description from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Bird images and sounds sourced from GBIF, contributed by citizen scientists worldwide under Creative Commons licenses.
Taxonomy data from AviList 2025.
