Corn Bunting

Description:

Corn Bunting is a relatively large and robust bunting, larger than sparrow and smaller than Blackbird, with a chunky appearance and a thick and conical bill, typical for grain-eaters. The plumage is mostly brown and lacks strong patterns, but it typically features darker streaks on a lighter background, which provides camouflage in its farmland and grassland habitats. Males and females look similar, making them difficult to distinguish based on appearance alone. The Corn Bunting is known for its distinctive, jangling song that often sounds like the rattling of a set of keys.

Habitat:

Seen on grasslands of Hortobágy National Park, bordering large and famous wetlands. Both grasslands and wetlands are part of the Puszta, the unique landscape, emblematic of Hungary, that supports rich diversity of flora and fauna, making the area an important ecological zone

Notes:

1. For more information on Hortobágy National Park and its ecosystem, please refer to my incoming blog post on Project NOAH (coming soon). 2. One more long quest reached its happy end for me, during this trip to Hortobagy NP of Hungary. The Corn bunting is a common bird in many areas I have visited, but due to its inconspicious and discreet appearance, it eluded me for a long time. Most often I confused it with other 'earthy' coloured bird of this size... Anyway, here at heart of 'Puszta', this beauty agreed to pose for me for some 15 minutes, singing all the time, and let me circle around it and take a load of good pics. 3. Despite its once common status across much of its range, the Corn Bunting has experienced significant declines in some areas due to intensive farming practices, pesticide use, and habitat loss, leading to its conservation status being of concern in parts of Europe. Its song and presence, once a familiar part of the rural landscape, have become less common, making conservation efforts important for this species.