The little bunting is a passerine bird belonging to the bunting family (Emberizidae).
Region
Northern Eurasia
Typical Environment
Breeds across the boreal taiga from northern Scandinavia through Siberia to the Russian Far East. It favors moist coniferous and mixed woodland with dense undergrowth, clearings, and edges near bogs. In winter it moves to South and East Asia, using farmland, reedbeds, scrub, parks, and woodland edges. It is a regular migrant and winter visitor in China, northern India, and Southeast Asia, and a scarce vagrant to Western Europe.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Continental
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The little bunting is a small, taiga-breeding passerine known for its distinct chestnut cheek patch and clean white eye ring. It nests close to the ground in damp, shrubby coniferous forest and forms mixed-species flocks in winter. Its sharp 'tik' call is a useful field clue during migration and in wintering flocks.
Little Bunting.
Temperament
wary and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with bounding
Social Behavior
Breeds solitarily or in loose neighborhood associations, with a nest placed low in dense vegetation or on the ground. The female builds the nest and incubates, while both parents feed the young. Outside the breeding season it forms small flocks, often mixing with other buntings and finches.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The song is a short, thin series of high-pitched notes delivered from low perches. The call is a sharp, dry 'tik' or 'tsip' frequently given in flight. Vocalizations are delicate and can be easily overlooked among flock sounds.
Plumage
Fine, streaked brown upperparts with pale fringes; whitish underparts with light streaking on the flanks and breast sides. The face shows a crisp pattern with a white supercilium, white eye ring, and rufous-chestnut ear coverts framed by dark lines. Wings show subtle pale edges to coverts and tertials.
Diet
Feeds mainly on small seeds of grasses and weeds outside the breeding season. During breeding it supplements with insects and other small invertebrates to meet the protein needs of chicks. It forages by gleaning on the ground and low vegetation, occasionally hawking short distances for flying insects.
Preferred Environment
Forages in open woodland edges, scrubby clearings, weedy fields, paddy margins, and reedbeds. In winter it readily uses agricultural landscapes and park-like habitats with scattered cover.
