adult

adult European distribution adult singing on fence

Identification

Corn Buntings are bigger and plumper than other buntings, streaky brown in all plumages, with a heavier and more distinctly notched bill. In flight they lack white outer tail feathers and frequently leave their legs dangling.

Habitat

Breeds on farmland, downs and coastal scrub. Winters on arable farmland, often in stubble.

Behaviour

Corn Buntings have a similar breeding system to Wrens in which the male establishes a territory and then tries to attract as many females as possible to breed within it. If the territory is poor then he may attract only one mate and will assist with rearing the young but more typically he will leave each female to rear the young on her own while he continues singing to attract the next passing female. In this way one male Corn Bunting was shown to breed with 11 different females in one season. This abandonment of parental duties explains why male Corn Buntings, like Wrens, are able to spend so much time singing.

Migration

Some birds are resident: paradoxically, these may be the northernmost birds, which range in large flocks during winter. More southerly birds are believed to head west and south west during winter whilst remaining within the breeding range. British birds are resident.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Corn Bunting is classed as Common: common species, including species that are certain or probable escapees from captivity when occurring in the British Isles. (Note that rarity levels are currently applied nationally and may not reflect local variations in abundance.)

Bempton Cliffs, E Yorks 25/07/2010	Winterborne Monkton, Dorset 27/06/2010	Montcelebre, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 21/07/2010	Montcelebre, Languedoc-Roussillon, France 21/07/2010	Jerzmanki, Lower Silesia, Poland 19/07/2010
Jerzmanki, Lower Silesia, Poland 19/07/2010	Dluzyna dolna, Lower Silesia, Poland 18/07/2010	San Martin del Tesorillo, Andalucia, Spain 01/07/2010	Fowlmere RSPB, Cambs 08/07/2010	Humberston, Lincs 01/07/2010

 View all pictures of Corn Bunting

Corn Bunting breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Britain
Bulgaria
Canary Islands
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Malta
Moldova
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

http://blx1.bto.org/birdfacts/results/bob18820.htm   BTO BirdFacts: Corn Bunting	Edit this link
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	RSPB: Fat Bird of the Barley needs our help	Monday 17th May 2010
	News of an eight-year project to reverse the decline of Corn Buntings to eastern Scotland.   read on
	RSPB: Record flock of rare birds baffles experts	Monday 18th January 2010
	Corn Buntings make themselves at home on a wildlife-friendly farm in Bedfordshire.   read on
	RSPB: Aid for farmers boosts hopes for threatened bird	Thursday 6th March 2008
	Changes in farming techniques could help to save the Corn Bunting.   read on
	Crumbs of Comfort for Farmland Birds	Thursday 22nd February 2007
	Research by the RSPB on the food preferences of declining farmland birds proves that food variety is the key to helping these birds in winter.   read on

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