Ortolan Bunting
Emberiza hortulana
Silhouette: L. Shyamal · PhyloPic
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumChordata (Chordates)
- ClassAves (Birds)
- OrderPasseriformes (Perching Birds)
- FamilyEmberizidae (Old World Buntings)
- GenusEmberiza (Old World Buntings)
- SpeciesEmberiza hortulana (Ortolan Bunting)
About the Ortolan Bunting
The ortolan (Emberiza hortulana), also called ortolan bunting, is a Eurasian bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a passerine family now separated by most modern scholars from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name Emberiza is from Alemannic German Embritz, a bunting. The specific name hortulana is from the Italian name for this bird, ortolana. The English ortolan is derived from Middle French hortolan, "gardener".
The ortolan is served in French cuisine, typically cooked and eaten whole. Traditionally, diners cover their heads with their napkin or a towel while eating the delicacy. The ortolan was so widely eaten that its French populations had dropped dangerously low by the 1990s. French laws protecting the bird, and an EU-wide prohibition against killing or capturing it, have had little effect on the ortolan's numbers.
The ortolan bunting was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his Systema Naturae and retains its original binomial name of Emberiza hortulana. The species is monotypic. A molecular phylogenetic study of the buntings published in 2008 found that the ortolan bunting is most closely related to Cretzschmar... Wikipedia →
Recent sightings of Ortolan Bunting in Doñana National Park
LIVEiNaturalistClosest Relatives at Doñana National Park
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Global Distribution
Warmer areas are where this animal is recorded most often.
Parks Where Found
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Biebrza National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 5 | Ordesa y Monte Perdido National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 6 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 7 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 8 | Aigüestortes National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 9 | Doñana National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 10 | Wadden Sea National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 11 | Bale Mountains National Park | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | |
| 12 | Ecrins National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 13 | Camargue | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 14 | Picos de Europa National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 15 | Białowieża National Park | 🇵🇱 Poland | |
| 16 | Gobi Gurvansaikhan National Park | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | |
| 17 | Monfragüe National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain |
Quick answers
What are the chances of seeing a Ortolan Bunting in Doñana National Park?
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Ortolan Bunting sighting in Doñana National Park, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data.
When is the best time to see Ortolan Bunting in Doñana National Park?
April has the highest sighting rate for Ortolan Bunting in Doñana National Park in our monthly data.