Wildlifeof China
Crested Bunting
Finches, Sparrows & Buntings
Photo: saydelah · CC BY 4.0
Emberiza lathami
Basic stats
Habitat
Open country; altitudinal movements in the Himalayas
Range
Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent
Clutch size
3–4 white eggs with greenish to reddish spots
Size
Sparrow-sized
The crested bunting is a sparrow-sized bunting with a distinctive crest. Males are black with rufous wings and tail and a yellowish beak; females are dull brown, less contrasting, with a shorter crest; non-breeding males are buffish grey. It was formerly placed in the monotypic genus Melophus on account of its crest, until DNA phylogenies showed it nested within other Emberiza buntings. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Populations in the higher Himalayas show seasonal altitudinal movements, and birds become more gregarious in winter. The clutch is three to four white eggs with greenish to reddish spots denser at the broad end. The source does not detail its status in China. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What habitat does the Crested Bunting live in?
- Open country; altitudinal movements in the Himalayas
- Where is the Crested Bunting found?
- Himalayas and the Indian subcontinent
- How many eggs does the Crested Bunting lay?
- 3–4 white eggs with greenish to reddish spots
- How big is the Crested Bunting?
- Sparrow-sized