Cape Bunting

The Cape bunting, Emberiza capensis, is a small passerine bird, a member of the bunting family Emberizidae. It measures approximately 16 cm in length, presenting a modest yet distinctive plumage.

Identification Tips

Adults are characterized by a striking black crown and a white supercilium, with black-bordered white ear coverts. The upperparts are a grey-brown with dark streaks, while the wing coverts boast a rich chestnut hue. The tail is a darker shade of chestnut, and the underparts are grey with a pale throat. Both sexes are similar in appearance, though females may exhibit a buff tinge to the white head markings. Juveniles are less vivid, with duller chestnut wings, a less defined head pattern, and more extensive streaking on the breast and flanks.

Habitat

The Cape bunting is typically found in rocky slopes and dry weedy scrub, favoring mountainous regions in the northern parts of its range. It has also been known to inhabit stony arid areas with sparse grass.

Distribution

This species is native to southern Africa, with its range extending from southwestern Angola, eastern Zambia, and Zimbabwe to southern Tanzania, and all the way south to the Cape.

Behaviour

Cape buntings are not known for their sociability; they are usually observed alone, in pairs, or within family groups. They forage on the ground, seeking out seeds, insects, and spiders.

Song & Calls

The call of the Cape bunting is an ascending "zzoo-zeh-zee-zee," while its song is a loud and chirpy "chup chup chup chup chee chhep chu." The subspecies E. c. vincenti, or Vincent's bunting, has a simpler song that goes "tre-re-ret tre-re-ret."

Breeding

The nest of the Cape bunting is a lined cup, discreetly placed low in a shrub or tussock. The clutch typically consists of two to four cream-colored eggs, adorned with red-brown and lilac markings.

Similar Species

While there are ten subspecies of the Cape bunting, all share the distinctive head pattern and rufous in the wings. The northeastern race, E. c. vincenti, is notably darker above and slaty below, with reduced chestnut on the wing coverts. Some taxonomists have elevated it to species status as Vincent's bunting.

Diet and Feeding

The diet of the Cape bunting is primarily composed of seeds, supplemented by insects and spiders, which it forages for on the ground.

Conservation status

The Cape bunting is currently classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, indicating that it does not face any immediate threat of extinction in the wild.