Thursday 17 February 2011

Corn Bunting

The Corn Bunting is Britains largest bunting, the size of a Skylark. It is plump with a heavy, straw coloured bill. The plumage is dull streaky brown with paler, more boldly streaked underparts. Sexes are alike, although the male has a song that is likened to the jangling of keys. The bird has a local name in Sussex of `Stubble Lark`.

The bird is found in open countryside and in winter feeds on farmland. They avoid winter cereals and improved grassland and instead prefer to feed on winter stubble and rough areas of grass that have a good number of weeds. Most of the year it feeds on plant material, eating the grain from cereal crops and the seeds from grasses and weeds, but in summer it eats beetles and caterpillars, feeding the young on sawflies, aphids, beetles and ripening grain.

Most males have one mate, but some have two or more females nesting in their territory, although it has been recorded that one male attracted 18 females, 6 of which nested. Territories are re-occupied between February and April with males starting to sing to attract a mate. The female incubates between 2 and 4 eggs for 12-14 days and then feeds the young. The chicks leave the nest after 9-13 days, sometimes before they can fly.

This, I am afraid to say, is another farmland bird that has had a drastic fall in numbers. In the past 25 years their population has fallen by over 85% in Britain and again this is linked to changes in agriculture that has seen the loss of stubble fields and earlier harvesting, which has prevented a second brood from fledging being two of the likely causes. In Ireland this bird has become extinct as a breeding bird in recent years, although in 1900 it bred in 30 of the 32 Irish counties.

The photographs below were again taken on Newborough Fen, one of the few strongholds of this disappearing bird.

Singing male

Female
All photo`s digiscoped using Lumix FS15 and Kowa TSN-883 x30

8 comments:

  1. I'm so sorry to hear about the loss of habitat for these beautiful creatures...but so glad that you put the word out here for us so we can be proactive. Each one of us, though only one, can make a small difference. Collectively, we can change things!

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  2. Hi Cat, thanks for those inspiring words. Indeed, we can all `do` our little bit in order to change what needs changing and hope that others join in!
    J

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  3. The grey partridge and now the corn bunting too! It really makes me sad, but the Whimsical Gardener is right of course. We can all make a difference. I really enjoyed reading about these birds and as always your pictures say a thousand words.

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  4. I'm interested to note you mention again the importance of stubble. This validates something that seems akin we've done on our bit of land, letting a part of it revert to grassy meadow, and rough-cut only twice per year at the times recommended by local naturalists. It took some convincing with the fellow who helps us out with the mowing (because of deer ticks, we need to keep the grass down near the house). He thought it looked messy--could hardly stand it! But we prevailed, and hope we can by that provide at least a tiny sanctuary for the birds, insects, and butterflies in our neck of the woods.

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  5. Hi John. So many species seem to be in decline because of changes in habitat. The total bird population is not in decline though, is it?
    Bazza’s Blog ‘To Discover Ice’

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  6. Thanks Rebecca, we can all do our bit and thankyou for the kind comments.
    J

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  7. That sounds amazing Raining Acorns! If I had some land I would try and do the same thing. I would love to have my own oasis for nature, maybe one day!
    J

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  8. Hi bazza, no, not all birds are in decline. Farmland birds in particular are suffering because of the changes in the way the countryside is farmed and also the way we have to have everything nice and tidy and pretty, birds like to have things a bit messy!
    J

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