Birda Logo
Features
Birda+
About
Species Guide
Challenges
Shop
loading...
A photo of a Cirl Bunting (Emberiza cirlus), male
Cirl Bunting, Male

Cirl Bunting

Emberiza cirlus

The cirl bunting, Emberiza cirlus, is a passerine bird of modest size, akin to the familiar yellowhammer. It measures approximately 15.5 cm in length, with a wingspan ranging from 22 to 25.5 cm. The species is characterized by a robust bill, well-suited for seed consumption.

Identification Tips

Males are distinguished by their vivid yellow heads, contrasted by a black crown, eyestripe, and throat. A greenish breast band adorns their yellow underparts, while their backs are cloaked in heavy brown streaks. Females, however, bear a closer resemblance to the yellowhammer, with streaked grey-brown rumps and chestnut shoulders.

Habitat

Cirl buntings thrive in open areas with a smattering of scrub or trees, showing a particular fondness for sun-drenched slopes.

Distribution

This bird is native to southern Europe, the Mediterranean islands, and north Africa. It is a year-round resident in these regions, eschewing migration during the winter months. Notably, a population was introduced to New Zealand's South Island in the 19th century, where it persists.

Behaviour

Cirl buntings are sedentary creatures, often venturing a mere 250 meters from their nests to forage in the summer, and up to 2 kilometers in winter in search of stubble.

Song & Calls

The male's song is a monotonous, rattling trill, reminiscent of the Arctic warbler or the terminal rattle of the lesser whitethroat.

Breeding

Breeding commences at one year of age, with nests constructed at low levels within dense vegetation such as thick hedgerows and scrub. The breeding season spans from April to mid-September, with two to five eggs laid per brood. The eggs, marked with hair-like lines, are incubated by the female and hatch after 12-13 days. Both parents tend to the fledglings, which leave the nest after 11-13 days but continue to receive parental care for an additional two to three weeks.

Diet and Feeding

During summer, cirl buntings feed their chicks with invertebrates such as grasshoppers and crickets. In winter, their diet shifts to small seeds from stubbles, fallow land, and grain or hay provided for livestock. They typically feed in flocks during the colder months.

Conservation status

The cirl bunting is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN. However, changes in agricultural practices have led to a decline in populations at the northern edge of their range, particularly in England, where they are now largely confined to south Devon. Conservation efforts, including the Countryside Stewardship Scheme and environmental stewardship by Natural England, aim to preserve and enhance their habitats.

Cirl Bunting Sounds


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

Cirl 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
Birdafan
Ideal Birdwatch Companion
Simply adds to the enjoyment of my birdwatching and helps me record what I’ve seen.
Alex J
Friendly and helps to identify birds
Great birding app, good for logging your sightings, also has nice species guide. I'm enjoying the social aspect more than I expected, everyone seems friendly and helps to identify unknown birds. Good mix of newbies and experienced users.
Emcil24
A Friendly Place
I love using the bird app, I have a pretty good knowledge of birds. But I do have some gaps in it, so it’s nice to have a safe space to check on a sighting to confirm the species. It’s really enjoyable and I love the badges you can collect. It’s like a real life Pokémon go.
Patricia L
Very encouraging birding app
Easy to use, fun to see progress and encouraging to receive feedback from other users.
Chudbond
Love Birda
I love this app. It really encourages you to log your sightings and the community is friendly and helpful.
Unbridled Discoveries
Great app for bird lovers
I love this app! It’s a wonderful way to track birding sessions, and also connect you with fellow birders. I also really like the unidentified bird section, it’s a great community tool to help figure out what a never-before-seen bird is!
Hip An
Fantastic
Really enjoying Birda where I live i have a lot of Red kites really hard to photograph but I can video are you planning some place on the app where us Birda can post vids🦉🦅
Dunners12345
Great App
Great app to use for logging and communicating with others who are interested in birds
Safira V
Birding and wellbeing app
Birda is an excellent platform to share your love of Birding and is a great tool of encouragement for a Birding Beginner like me. Birda has a very kind and supportive community of Birding enthusiasts. For me BIRDA is not only a BIRDING but also a WELLBEING App.
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 😍😍
As featured in
Birda Logo
AboutPressAmbassadorsAffiliatesInfluencersCareersPrivacyTerms & Conditions
An app for birdwatchers
Connect with us
Copyright © 2024 Chirp Birding. All rights reserved.