Black-headed Bunting
BLACK-HEADED BUNTING
Emberiza melanocephala
Family Emberizidae
Bird #528 - November 2019
This bird has previously been reported in Laoag and Palawan, but we never saw it there. During this trip, Tonji spotted this bunting on the ground in the plaza. When he showed it to Rob Hutchinson, Rob said it wasn't a bunting, it was just a juvenile Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Tonji felt sheepish about mistaking a common ETS for a bunting. Good thing the bird stuck around because after some time, Rob looked at it again and called us back! He made a mistake, it was a bunting after all!
According to Rob, juvenile and female Black-headed Bunting and Red-headed Bunting are hard to tell apart. At first he wasn't sure if this was a Black-headed or Red-headed Bunting. After researching, he said he is fairly sure this is a Black-headed Bunting because of the "really big bill with curved culmen, and quite well streaked crown".
Read MoreEmberiza melanocephala
Family Emberizidae
Bird #528 - November 2019
This bird has previously been reported in Laoag and Palawan, but we never saw it there. During this trip, Tonji spotted this bunting on the ground in the plaza. When he showed it to Rob Hutchinson, Rob said it wasn't a bunting, it was just a juvenile Eurasian Tree Sparrow. Tonji felt sheepish about mistaking a common ETS for a bunting. Good thing the bird stuck around because after some time, Rob looked at it again and called us back! He made a mistake, it was a bunting after all!
According to Rob, juvenile and female Black-headed Bunting and Red-headed Bunting are hard to tell apart. At first he wasn't sure if this was a Black-headed or Red-headed Bunting. After researching, he said he is fairly sure this is a Black-headed Bunting because of the "really big bill with curved culmen, and quite well streaked crown".
