Chestnut-eared Bunting

Overview

The Chestnut-eared Bunting breeds across Siberia, Mongolia, and China, wintering in warmer parts of East and Southeast Asia. It is strongly associated with damp, grassy habitats such as marsh edges and paddies rather than dry scrub.

Its rufous ear coverts and necklace of dark breast spots set it apart from other grey-headed buntings.

Feather Identification

• Ear coverts: rich chestnut, contrasting with a grey crown and nape.
• Breast: grey with a band of dark streaks forming a loose necklace above white underparts.
• Flanks: streaked with chestnut, echoing the ear-patch color.
• Upperparts: warm brown with dark streaking, typical bunting camouflage.

The rufous ear patch combined with the spotted necklace is the key combination separating this species from Black-faced or Grey-necked Buntings.

Plumage Notes

Breeding males show the clearest expression of grey head, chestnut ear patch, and necklace of streaks. Females and non-breeding birds are paler and more diffusely marked, with the ear patch often reduced to a warm wash rather than a bold patch.

Juveniles are heavily streaked below and lack the clean grey head tone of adults. A single annual molt follows breeding, with wear through the winter softening the contrast before spring.

Habitat & Range

The species breeds from Siberia and Mongolia through northern China and Japan, favoring wet meadows, riverside grass, and marsh margins. Winter range extends south into southern China and parts of Southeast Asia.

Most populations are migratory, moving to lower and warmer wetlands and agricultural land, including rice paddies, outside the breeding season.

Behavior & Field Notes

This bunting forages low in grass and reeds for seeds and insects, often perching on grass stems or low shrubs to sing. It tends to be less shy than some buntings, sometimes feeding in the open at paddy edges.

Nests are built low in dense grass or marsh vegetation. The song is a thin, buzzy series of notes. Observers should check for the chestnut ear patch and streaked necklace, both useful even on duller winter birds.