Finches, Bunting

Crested Bunting

Male: striking glossy black plumage, with long, pointed crest and chestnut wings and tail. Female: crested; olive-brown above, streaked darker; rufous in wings distinctive; buffy-yellow below, streaked dark on breast; darkish moustachial stripe. Small flocks, often spread wide over an area; feeds on ground, on paths, meadows and tar roads, especially along mountainsides; perches on ruins, walls, stones and low bushes; on ground.

Red-headed Bunting

Male: rufous-chestnut crown, throat, breast; olive-yellow back, streaked blackish; unmarked yellow rump; whitish wing-bars; yellow neck-sides, underbody below breast. Female: pale-brown above, streaked; yellowish rump. Highly gregarious winter visitor; huge numbers, frequently along with Black-headed; cause considerable damage to crops.