Corn Bunting

Emberiza calandra Linnaeus, 1758

≈19 cmLength29 cmWingspan48 gWeight

It is a large, stout bunting with gray-brown, striped plumage resembling Eurasian Skylark, and no bright colors.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: Spain, Portugal, United Kingdom

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Eyes conspicuously dark; bill yellowish
Upperparts gray-brown with streaks
Streaks on breast and flanks, forming a ring around the throat
Lesser coverts dark with white tips

Male, female and young

Sexes similar in plumage; male about 20% larger.

Voice

Male song consists of repeated metallic sounds, often likened to a jangling bunch of keys.

Where and when it's recorded

Corn Bunting has been recorded at 844 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 70 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Lezíria Grande de Vila Franca de Xira – área geralPortugal3,539 records
El Oso – Laguna y entornoSpain2,958 records
Azud de RiolobosSpain2,144 records

More places

Balsa de Zolina/EzkorizSpain1,911 records
Aras Kuş Halkalama İstasyonuTürkiye1,884 records
La Janda – ÁreaSpain1,664 records
El Estrecho PNat – Los LancesSpain1,396 records
Lagunas de Villafáfila RNat – ÁreaSpain1,361 records
Laguna de Pitillas RN – AreaSpain1,352 records
Balsa de LozaSpain1,218 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Spain Portugal United Kingdom Greece Türkiye Israel Bulgaria Czechia

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The corn bunting (Emberiza calandra) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. The sexes are similar but the male is slightly larger than the female. Its range extends from Western Europe and North Africa across to northwestern China.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Corn Bunting?

The Corn Bunting is about ≈19 cm long, with a wingspan of 29 cm and weighs around 48 g.

Where does the Corn Bunting live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: temperate to subtropical western Palearctic grassland: British Isles and western Europe north to southern Scandinavia, Latvia and southwestern Russia, south to Canary Islands (central Macaronesia, northwest of western Africa), Morocco to Tunisia (northwestern, north-central Africa), through Mediterranean to Turkey, Israel and western Jordan, northeastern Arabian Peninsula, east through southern Kazakhstan to northwestern Xinjiang (northwestern China), south through southwestern, south-central, northern Iran and northern Afghanistan. It is most often recorded in Spain, Portugal and United Kingdom.

When is the best time to see the Corn Bunting?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Corn Bunting endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Corn Bunting as Least Concern.

What does the Corn Bunting eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Corn Bunting in?

It belongs to the family Buntings (Emberizidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈19 cm
Wingspan: 29 cm
Weight: 48 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 97 mm
Tail: 70 mm
Bill: 16 mm
Tarsus: 24 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: temperate to subtropical western Palearctic grassland: British Isles and western Europe north to southern Scandinavia, Latvia and southwestern Russia, south to Canary Islands (central Macaronesia, northwest of western Africa), Morocco to Tunisia (northwestern, north-central Africa), through Mediterranean to Turkey, Israel and western Jordan, northeastern Arabian Peninsula, east through southern Kazakhstan to northwestern Xinjiang (northwestern China), south through southwestern, south-central, northern Iran and northern Afghanistan

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 1