ID Keys: Fine streaks on white underparts, heavy dark streaks on
back, chestnut-colored face, white eye-ring
The
Little Bunting is a Eurasian species, where it breeds in parts of Russia and
Scandinavia, and winters in southern Asia. In North America it is a very
rare vagrant, most often seen in western Alaska, but it has strayed to
California and Oregon a handful of times. They are extremely hardy
little bird, found breeding in the far north tundra of Eurasia.
Habitat
Found in open taiga during the breeding
season, in areas with dwarf willow and other open treed areas. Seems
to prefer lower vegetation such as dwarf willow in much of its range, often
in riparian areas. In migration and winter, they can be found in a
wide variety of open habitats, including agricultural land, open forest
land, and grassland.
Diet
Feeds heavily on seeds, but insects also
make up a large part of the diet during the summer breeding season.
Behavior
Feeds while hopping on the ground.
Nesting
The nest is built on the ground on a
mossy tussock, usually in a protected area such as next to a clump of
vegetation or tree stump. The nest is a platform of moss, sticks, and
grasses, lined with finer material such as fine grasses and lichen. The
female lays between 4 and 6 eggs, and both parents help to incubate the
eggs.
Song
The song is a short buzzy trilling.
Migration
Strongly migratory, summering in
far northern Eurasia, and moving to China and other areas in
southeastern Asia for the winter.
