Black-headed Bunting
Emberiza melanocephala
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyEmberizidae (Old World Buntings)
- GenusEmberiza (Old World Buntings)
- SpeciesEmberiza melanocephala (Black-headed Bunting)
About the Black-headed Bunting
The black-headed bunting (Emberiza melanocephala) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It breeds in south-east Europe east to Iran and migrates in winter mainly to India, with some individuals moving further into south-east Asia. Like others in its family, it is found in open grassland habitats where they fly in flocks in search of grains and seed. Adult males are well marked with yellow underparts, chestnut back and a black head. Adult females in breeding plumage look like duller males. In other plumages, they can be hard to separate from the closely related red-headed bunting and natural hybridization occurs between the two species in the zone of overlap of their breeding ranges in northern Iran.
The black-headed bunting was formally described in 1769 by the Austrian naturalist Giovanni Antonio Scopoli under the binomial name Emberiza melanocephala. The type locality is Carniola in Slovenia. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised. The genus name Emberiza is from Old German Embritz, a bunting, and the specific melanocephala combines the Ancient Greek melas meaning "black", and kephale meaning "head".
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Recent sightings of Black-headed Bunting in Chitwan National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Chitwan National Park
Yellow-breasted Bunting
Emberiza aureola
Crested Bunting
Emberiza lathami
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Dicrurus macrocercus
Large-billed Crow
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Dendrocitta vagabunda
Long-tailed Shrike
Lanius schach
Black-hooded Oriole
Oriolus xanthornus
Red-whiskered Bulbul
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Jungle Myna
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Oriental Magpie-Robin
Copsychus saularis
White-browed Wagtail
Motacilla maderaspatensis
Indian Pied Starling
Gracupica contra
Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chitwan National Park | 🇳🇵 Nepal | |
| 2 | Kanha National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 3 | Vanoise National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 5 | Satpura National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 6 | Ranthambore National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 7 | Bandhavgarh National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 8 | Manas National Park | 🇮🇳 India | |
| 9 | Keoladeo National Park | 🇮🇳 India |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Black-headed Bunting in Chitwan National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Black-headed Bunting sighting in Chitwan National Park, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Black-headed Bunting in Chitwan National Park?
March has the highest sighting rate for Black-headed Bunting in Chitwan National Park in our monthly data.