1. Corn bunting – Emberiza calandra
The corn bunting is a medium-sized bird with a body length of 17-19 cm and a weight of 38-56 g. The adult plumage of the upper body is gray-brown, the bottom of the body is whitish, there are dark transverse mottles on the chest. The corn bunting has a long, thin beak and a plump plumage.
The corn bunting is common in Europe, Asia and Africa. In Ukraine, it nests throughout the territory, except for the south of the Crimea.
Corn bunting is a sedentary bird. It lives in the steppes, on meadows and in fields. It nests on the ground, in a small pit covered with grass. The nest is built of grass, leaves and feathers. There are 4-6 eggs in the laying. The eggs are incubated by the female and the male in turn. Chicks hatch after 12-14 days. After hatching, the chicks grow quickly and begin to fly after a few weeks.
The corn bunting feeds on grass seeds, as well as insects and their larvae. The corn bunting collects seeds from the ground, as well as from spikes and pods.
The corn bunting is a fairly common species and is not listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.
Photo: Volodymyr Kucherenko