White-capped Bunting

Emberiza stewarti (Blyth, 1854)

≈14 cmLength16 gWeight

This migrant inhabits open grassland and feeds mainly on dry fruits and seeds.

Busiest months: February and May · Most records: India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan

Least Concern

How to identify

Where and when it's recorded

White-capped Bunting has been recorded at 64 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 9 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Ranthambore NPIndia140 records
Kokpek CanyonKazakhstan114 records
SattalIndia81 records

More places

Bharatpur – Keoladeo Ghana NPIndia46 records
PangotIndia43 records
Takhta-Karacha mountain passUzbekistan41 records
Forest Research Institute (FRI), New Forest CampusIndia41 records
Asola Wildlife SanctuaryIndia35 records
Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) CampusIndia34 records
Corbett NPIndia32 records

Countries and regions with the most records

India Kazakhstan Uzbekistan Pakistan Tajikistan China United Arab Emirates Kyrgyzstan

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 white-capped bunting or chestnut-breasted bunting (Emberiza stewarti) is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae. It is found in Afghanistan, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its natural habitats are boreal forests, boreal shrubland, and temperate grassland.

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

Questions

How big is the White-capped Bunting?

The White-capped Bunting is about ≈14 cm long and weighs around 16 g.

Where does the White-capped Bunting live?

Its breeding range: Oriental: montane temperate Central Asia dry woods: east-central, southern Kazakhstan, eastern Uzbekistan and far eastern Turkmenistan, through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan and northern, west-central Pakistan, Kashmir to central Himachal Pradesh. It is most often recorded in India, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

When is the best time to see the White-capped Bunting?

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

Is the White-capped Bunting endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the White-capped Bunting as Least Concern.

What does the White-capped Bunting eat?

Main food: Seeds.

What family is the White-capped Bunting in?

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

At a glance

Length: ≈14 cm
Weight: 16 g
Habitat: Grassland
Diet: Seeds
Lifestyle: Perches in trees
Migration: Migratory
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 78 mm
Tail: 67 mm
Bill: 12 mm
Tarsus: 17 mm

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

Range

Oriental: montane temperate Central Asia dry woods: east-central, southern Kazakhstan, eastern Uzbekistan and far eastern Turkmenistan, through Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan through Afghanistan and northern, west-central Pakistan, Kashmir to central Himachal Pradesh

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2