Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Cretzschmar's Bunting (Emberiza caesia), male
Cretzschmar's Bunting, Male

Cretzschmar's Bunting

Emberiza caesia

The Cretzschmar's bunting, Emberiza caesia, is a small, charming passerine bird belonging to the Emberizidae family. This species is distinguished by its compact size and stout pink bill, a delightful sight for any birdwatcher.

Identification Tips

Upon encountering a male Cretzschmar's bunting during the breeding season, one is treated to the sight of its grey head adorned with striking orange moustaches. The bird's upperparts present a rich brown, heavily streaked with darker shades, save for the unmarked rump. The underparts are a vibrant rusty orange, creating a stark contrast with the grey head. Females and juveniles, while sporting a less pronounced head pattern, can be recognized by their warm brown rump and the distinctive white eye-ring.

Habitat

The Cretzschmar's bunting favors sunny open hillsides that offer a smattering of bushes. It has a penchant for coastal or insular environments and typically nests at lower altitudes than its relative, the ortolan bunting, where their ranges overlap.

Distribution

This species has a breeding range that includes Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, and the Levant. It is a migratory bird, retreating to the warmer climes of Sudan and northern Eritrea to overwinter. On rare occasions, it has been known to stray to western Europe.

Breeding

The Cretzschmar's bunting is a ground nester, laying a clutch of four to six eggs. It exhibits a preference for seeds as its primary food source, but will also feed insects to its young, showcasing its adaptability in nurturing its offspring.

Similar Species

The Cretzschmar's bunting may be confused with the ortolan bunting, but keen observers will note the differences in head pattern and the unique warm brown rump of the Cretzschmar's, as well as the white eye-ring which sets it apart.

Diet and Feeding

A diet of seeds sustains the Cretzschmar's bunting, though it adapts to include insects in its diet when feeding its young, ensuring a balanced nutrition for its offspring.

Conservation status

BirdLife International has classified the Cretzschmar's bunting as Least Concern, indicating that, for now, this species does not face immediate threats to its survival.

App logo
Birda is a birdwatching app and community aimed at curious people who want to deepen their connection with nature.

Cretzschmar's Buntings on Birda

Photos
Sightings

More Buntings

Birda Logo

Your birdwatching journey like never before

Connect with nature in minutes
Take a walk, look out of the window and log the birds that you see. Feel good about those little connections to nature.
Discover the joy of birding
Find new birding spots, see more birds, share and celebrate with a like-minded community of nature lovers.
Play your part in saving nature
Logging your birding sightings and sessions turns into positive action for our planet. Every sighting counts.

Birda Blog

What Our Birders Say
Viperray5
Loving it
I really enjoy being able to interact with other birders on this platform! This seems like a great way to meet other birders and find some new spots.
Nedz53
Really useful
Downloaded to give it a try, everything worked perfectly, recorded my first bird watching walk. Very impressed. Have already recommended to friends!
778
Great bird recording
For a while I’ve been trying to find an app to easily record bird lists and day out and struggled to find one that I like. Birda is great for this, straightforward and a great community!
Louise L
Easy to use and accurate
Love this app. It is easy to use and accurate, Their backup communication is really good. I noted a missing species. All through the process, I was kept informed about the progress in correcting the information. I now have the corrected, updated version. 😁 Thanks!
SW H
Wonderful App
Birda is my go to app for keeping records of my bird sightings and sessions. It has fantastic information which is great at aiding identification. With all the updates that are coming in the new year, this app is something special.
Nick S
Work together with community
Been loving using this app to log my bird sightings and work together with community members to identify different birds. I've already learned a lot since I started about a month ago!
Abi.M
Awesome App
I really enjoy using this app! It is such a friendly community of bird-lovers who are happy to help if I need ID advice. It’s been great motivation to get outdoors and go birding more! 10/10 😍😍
Carrie
Makes you want to spot birds more
I think this app is fun. It makes you want to spot birds more so I guess in a way it encourages you to get out and about instead of sitting in front of the TV.
SuperOliviaGirl
Really great app
It’s easy to use and it’s fun to log the birds you notice on a walk or just in your garden. There’s a option to record the birds you see in a session which is really nice. Good excuse to stop for a while and just watch birds. I am also enjoying the information part where you can find out fact about birds from all over the world.
Carl B
Helped me to identify more birds
Love this app and has helped me to identify more birds. The challenges and badges are great for keeping the motivation going to get out and keep birding.
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.