Identification of Pine Bunting Daniele Occhiato he nominate subspecies of Pine Bunting tion between the two species in areas of sym- T Emberiza leucocephalos leucocephalos breeds patry on their Siberian breeding grounds. First- in a large part of Siberia from the western slopes generation hybrids, especially males, are gene- of the Ural (55° E) east to the Pacific, including rally distinctive and do not lead to confusion. Sakhalin and the Kuril Islands (c 155° E). It However, such hybrids are fertile, and back- ranges north to the Arctic Circle (66° N) and crosses with members of one or the other spe- south to northern Mongolia (50° N); a disjunct cies, or with other hybrids, lead to individuals in population breeds further south in the Altai, which evidence of hybridization is even more Tarbagatay, Ala Tau and Tien Shan mountain diluted, and often very difficult to detect in the ranges (45° N). A geographically isolated and field. In some cases, only careful in-hand exami- apparently sedentary subspecies, E l fronto, nation can reveal such hybrid characters. For breeds in northern Qinghai and Gansu prov- example, a study by Eugeny Panov (in Bradshaw inces, China (Cramp & Perrins 1994, Byers et al & Gray 1993) revealed that out of 239 adult 1995). The migratory nominate subspecies win- male Pine Bunting x Yellowhammer hybrids ters mostly in Afghanistan, Pakistan, north-west- studied in the hand in western Siberia, as many ern India, Nepal and northern China; less impor- as 58 were only identifiable as such by the yel- tant wintering areas include northern Iran, the low lesser underwing-coverts. A recent study by former Soviet states of Central Asia, Mongolia, Panov et al (2003) clearly shows that such and to a lesser extent Japan (Honshu and hybrids are increasingly frequent in the southern Hokkaido). Apart from being a regular breeder at part of the area where these two species are sym- the western Ural just inside the Western patric, and are encroaching on the range of Pine Palearctic, Pine Bunting is a rare but annual non- Bunting in particular. This means that in the fu- breeding visitor to other parts of the Western ture, Pine Bunting x Yellowhammer hybrids may Palearctic, with records throughout the year, al- be recorded with increasing frequency in Europe. though the majority are in autumn (October- In this paper, I present the knowledge I have November) and winter. This species has been acquired over the last few years on the identifica- recorded in nearly every European country, with tion of the nominate subspecies of Pine Bunting the majority of records coming from Britain, and its separation from Yellowhammer. Particular Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Slovenia attention is paid not only to female plumages, (Lewington et al 1991, Mitchell & Young 1997). which are notoriously difficult to identify in the However, in Italy, it is rare but regular in autumn field, but also to male plumages, which have and winter (Occhiato 2003). Pine Bunting is a received little attention in the literature (due to vagrant elsewhere in the Western Palearctic, males being relatively easy to identify) and except for Israel where it is rare but regular in whose details are still little known. The paper is autumn and winter (Shirihai 1996). based on data gathered in seven years of study- Pine Bunting is certainly the most frequent of ing Pine Buntings in Toscana, Italy, in the winters the Siberian buntings to stray to western Europe. from 1995/96 to 2001/02. These studies involved While the identification of males is generally over 110 individuals observed in the field straightforward, this cannot be said of females, between November and March, with particular especially in first-winter plumage. In particular, attention being paid to their phenology, plum- the identification of female Pine Bunting versus age, behaviour and vocalizations. female Yellowhammer E citrinella has been discussed at length in recent years (Lewington Size and structure 1990, Bradshaw & Gray 1993, Shirihai et al Pine Bunting is similar in size and structure to 1995), especially with regard to Yellowhammers Yellowhammer, but given optimal views (at close apparently lacking yellow pigments (assuming range), Pine Bunting often appears slightly larger that such individuals really exist). The separation (by c 10%) due to its longer tail and bigger head; of Pine Bunting from Yellowhammer is further wing length is also slightly longer in Pine complicated by the high frequency of hybridiza- Bunting, but this is only useful in the hand. [Dutch Birding 25: 1-16, 2003] 1 Identification of Pine Bunting Males in particular seem to show a slightly detailed analysis of the songs of both species, see squarer head compared with Yellowhammer, due Panov et al (2003). to the small crest that is often raised. The crest is also slightly further back on the head than in Calls Yellowhammer, as well as very slightly longer. The calls are very similar in both species and any The primary projection is similar in both species, possible differences are still poorly known. usually comprising two well-spaced primaries 1 Most typical contact call, short and dry, usually and a third, barely visible one. Pine Bunting, given when birds are perched or on the ground, however, often shows a fourth primary tip barely described as tchi’. Slightly higher pitched than similar projecting beyond the tertials, which Yellow- call of Yellowhammer. 2 Contact call, shorter, drier and lower pitched than hammer never shows (but beware of individuals call note 1, given both in flight and by perched birds, with new tertials that are not yet fully grown). In matching call 2a in Cramp & Perrins (1994), described Pine Bunting, the bill is usually slightly shorter as tch’. but this is subject to variability and is only ap- 3 Contact or alarm call, short and slightly raspy, given parent in the hand. Flight style and behaviour are when perched, matching call 2b in Cramp & Perrins similar in both species. (1994), described as dzjèu. Very slightly higher pitched Compared with Cirl Bunting E cirlus, with than similar call of Yellowhammer, and not always which it often occurs on its Italian wintering separable in the field. grounds, Pine Bunting is distinctly larger, as well 4 Contact or alarm call, similar to preceding call but sweeter, slightly nasal, somewhat finch-like and almost as longer tailed. These structural differences are certainly given under stress, as it is exclusively given by quite apparent in the field when the two species lone individuals and almost always in flight (but some- are seen together, especially in flight. Moreover, times also when perched), described as dsjìu. the primary projection is distinctly shorter in Cirl 5 Short and dry call, usually given on the ground, rare- Bunting, which only shows two primary tips be- ly in flight; very similar to Corn Bunting E calandra yond the tertials. calls, described as pt or pt-l. 6 Contact call given by flocks, given when perched, Vocalizations when taking flight, or in flight, described as tch–rr, The song and calls of Pine Bunting are very simi- tch-r-l-r. 7 Alarm call, given when perched just before taking lar in structure to those of Yellowhammer. Some flight, or when flushing out of fear (and often repeated Pine Bunting calls are slightly higher pitched in short series); the most characteristic call given by than those of Yellowhammer but these differ- birds flushed by humans, described as tcì–rrrrrrrr-l or ences can only be detected when the two spe- ptì–rlrlrlrlrlrlrl. Usually a little longer and slightly higher cies are together (or when comparing sona- pitched than similar call of Yellowhammer. grams). I had the opportunity to discern the subtle differences between the calls of these two species only in winter 2000/01, when at least Separation from female Yellowhammer four Pine Buntings and two to three Yellow- Much has been written in the last few years on hammers were present in the same flock at the identification of female Pine Bunting and its Macchia Lucchese, Toscana. In the same winter, separation from female Yellowhammer (Lewing- I was able to make sound recordings of some ton 1990, Svensson 1992, Bradshaw & Gray Pine Bunting calls at the same site. 1993, Shirihai et al 1995, Harris et al 1996). However, descriptions in the literature generally Song refer to female plumage without taking age into In general, the song of Pine Bunting is shorter account. For example, Bradshaw & Gray (1993) and slower than in Yellowhammer, with fewer, seemed to describe a first-winter female, while more evenly spaced initial notes. However, there Shirihai et al (1995) and Harris et al (1996) is much geographic variation in songs (which are describe the field marks of an adult-winter fe- often extremely similar to Yellowhammer), so male, although some of the characters they men- that the song itself is not very useful as an aid to tion are more typical of first-winter females. identification. The main differences lie in the Typical adult females Pine Bunting or Yellow- frequency of the initial notes, either evenly hammer, if seen well, do not generally pose spaced or accelerating, and the presence or lack serious identification problems. Doubts can, of the characteristic high-pitched final notes however, arise when dealing with first-winter (typical of Yellowhammer’s song) (Cramp & females of both species, and with adult female Perrins 1994, Panov et al 2003). For a more Yellowhammers apparently lacking yellow pig- 2 Identification of Pine Bunting 1 Pine Bunting / Witkopgors Emberiza leucocephalos, adult male, Duna di Migliarino, Toscana, Italy, 5 March 2000 (Daniele Occhiato). This individual shows a wide collar of dark grey spots.