The ortolan, also called ortolan bunting, is a Eurasian bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern scholars from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name Emberiza is from Alemannic German Embritz, a bunting. The specific name hortulana is from the Italian name for this bird, ortolana. The English ortolan is derived from Middle French hortolan, "gardener".
Region
Europe and Western Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds from the Iberian Peninsula and France through central and eastern Europe to western Siberia, and south into the Balkans, Turkey, and the Caucasus. It winters mainly in the Sahel belt of sub‑Saharan Africa. During breeding it favors open farmland, scrubby field margins, heaths, clearcuts, and forest edges with scattered bushes or small trees. In winter it uses dry savannas, fallows, and cultivated lands. Nests are placed on or near the ground within low vegetation.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2000 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
The ortolan bunting is a small Eurasian bunting whose males give a clear, tinkling song from exposed perches. It has long been notorious in France for a traditional gastronomic dish, but capture is now illegal and the species is legally protected in much of its range. Populations have declined in parts of Western Europe due to agricultural intensification and habitat loss.
Ortolan bunting bird mount preparation
Ortolan eggs
Temperament
generally shy and skulking, but males sing from exposed perches
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with brief undulations
Social Behavior
Outside the breeding season it forms small to moderate flocks, often mixing with other buntings. Pairs are typically monogamous; the nest is a shallow cup on or near the ground concealed in low vegetation. Clutches usually contain 3–5 eggs, and both parents care for the young.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
The male’s song is a clear, tinkling series of sweet, descending phrases delivered from a shrub, treetop, or wire. Calls include a soft metallic 'tink' and sharper contact notes.
Plumage
Upperparts are brown with darker streaking; underparts warm rufous-buff with fine streaks on the flanks. Males show a grey‑green head with yellowish throat and eye-ring, and a pink bill; females and juveniles are duller and more streaked overall.
Diet
Feeds mainly on seeds and grains for much of the year, gleaning from the ground and low vegetation. During the breeding season it takes a higher proportion of insects and other invertebrates, especially to feed nestlings. It also consumes buds and small berries when available. Foraging is mostly deliberate and ground-oriented, with short hops and pecks.
Preferred Environment
Forages along field margins, stubble and fallow fields, hedgerows, and scrubby clearings. In winter it uses open dry savannas and cultivated plots, often near water sources in the Sahel.
