Ortolan Bunting

Emberiza hortulana Linnaeus, 1758

16–17 cmLength26 cmWingspan20 gWeight

It resembles a plainer Yellowhammer, with a gray-green head rather than a bright yellow one.

Busiest months: April · Most records: Israel, United Arab Emirates, Türkiye

Looks like Yellowhammer

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Head gray-green rather than bright yellow
Less brightly colored overall than Yellowhammer

Voice

Male song resembles that of Yellowhammer.

Similar species

Yellowhammer

Similar to Yellowhammer in appearance and habits, but lacks its bright colors and has a gray-green rather than bright yellow head.

Where and when it's recorded

Ortolan Bunting has been recorded at 482 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 71 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Jerusalem Bird ObservatoryIsrael455 records
RivaTürkiye423 records
Abu Dhabi Golf and Equestrian ClubUnited Arab Emirates293 records

More places

International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel289 records
Gazelle ValleyIsrael180 records
Abraq Al-HabariKuwait163 records
Wamm FarmsUnited Arab Emirates152 records
Madzharovo Crater AreaBulgaria135 records
PN Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina – CabranosaPortugal129 records
Khovd Bird Ringing Station, Khovd, MNMongolia122 records

Countries and regions with the most records

Israel United Arab Emirates Türkiye United Kingdom Portugal Bulgaria Kuwait Palestinian Territories

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 ortolan (Emberiza hortulana), 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.

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

Questions

How big is the Ortolan Bunting?

The Ortolan Bunting is about 16–17 cm long, with a wingspan of 26 cm and weighs around 20 g.

Where does the Ortolan Bunting live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: southern, eastern subarctic to subtropical open wooded hills: western, central Palearctic: Scandinavia patchily to Iberian Peninsula, east through Baltic region, western, south-central Russia, northern Kazakhstan, far northern Xinjiang (northwestern China) and western, central, southern Mongolia; in south through coastal Algeria, northern Mediterranean to Turkey, Caucasus and northern Iran. It is most often recorded in Israel, United Arab Emirates and Türkiye.

When is the best time to see the Ortolan Bunting?

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

Is the Ortolan Bunting endangered?

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

What does the Ortolan Bunting eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Ortolan Bunting in?

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

At a glance

Length: 16–17 cm
Wingspan: 26 cm
Weight: 20 g
Habitat: Shrubland
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Varied
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 86 mm
Tail: 66 mm
Bill: 16 mm
Tarsus: 19 mm

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

Range

Palearctic: southern, eastern subarctic to subtropical open wooded hills: western, central Palearctic: Scandinavia patchily to Iberian Peninsula, east through Baltic region, western, south-central Russia, northern Kazakhstan, far northern Xinjiang (northwestern China) and western, central, southern Mongolia; in south through coastal Algeria, northern Mediterranean to Turkey, Caucasus and northern Iran

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2