Wildlifeof China
Pine Bunting
Finches, Sparrows & Buntings
Photo: Jargal Lamjav from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia · CC BY 2.0
Emberiza leucocephalos
Basic stats
Diet
Seeds, with insects fed to the young
Habitat
Open country with scrub or scattered trees, especially open pine forest
Range
Breeds across temperate Asia; winters in central Asia, northern India and southern China
Clutch size
4–6 eggs
Size
16–17.5cm
The Pine Bunting is a robust, 16–17.5cm bunting with a thick seed-eating bill. A breeding male has a white crown and cheeks, chestnut forehead and throat, and a streaked brown back, while the female is duller and more heavily streaked. It inhabits open country with scrub or scattered trees, particularly open pine forest, and nests on the ground. Its diet consists principally of seeds, while insects are collected for the young. (Wikipedia, general species account)
The species breeds across temperate Asia and moves south in winter to central Asia, northern India and southern China. A normal clutch contains four to six eggs. Its inclusion in the Chinese fauna is therefore supported directly by the winter range stated in the species account rather than inferred from its wider Asian distribution. (Wikipedia, general species account)
Quick answers
- What does the Pine Bunting eat?
- Seeds, with insects fed to the young
- What habitat does the Pine Bunting live in?
- Open country with scrub or scattered trees, especially open pine forest
- Where is the Pine Bunting found?
- Breeds across temperate Asia; winters in central Asia, northern India and southern China
- How many eggs does the Pine Bunting lay?
- 4–6 eggs
- How big is the Pine Bunting?
- 16–17.5cm