# Corn Bunting (*Emberiza calandra*) The Corn Bunting is a cheerful bird that loves to sing! It has a chunky body and a lovely yellowish belly. You can often find it perched on fences or singing from the tops of bushes. - **Category:** [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/bird) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Corn Bunting](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Miliaria_calandra-Corn_Bunting.jpg&width=800) Photo: Steve Riall, CC BY 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Miliaria_calandra-Corn_Bunting.jpg) ## Appearance The Corn Bunting is a plump, streaky brown bird with a plain appearance and a short, conical bill. Both males and females look alike, lacking the distinct head patterns of other buntings. It blends well into its grassland and farmland habitats. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Chordata - **Class:** Aves - **Order:** Passeriformes - **Family:** Emberizidae - **Genus:** Emberiza ## Interesting facts - Its unique song sounds like jangling keys! - Males often mate with several females. - Their population helps show farm health. - They swallow tiny stones to aid digestion. ## Special abilities - **Key-Jingle Song:** Corn Bunting has a unique, rattling song that sounds like jangling keys, which helps males claim territory and attract mates. - **Ground Nesting Pro:** Corn Bunting can build expertly camouflaged nests directly on the ground, protecting its eggs from many predators. - **Seed Cracker Beak:** Corn Bunting has a strong, conical beak that helps it efficiently crack open tough seeds for food. ## Measurements & details - **Length:** 16-19 cm - **Wingspan:** 23-26 cm - **Weight:** 0.038-0.056 kg - **Lifespan:** 2-8 years - **Speed:** 50 km/h - **Clutch Size:** 3-6 - **Incubation:** 11-13 days ## Diet & Feeding Mainly eats seeds and grains, especially in winter, switching to insects and spiders in summer. - **Age differences:** Young birds (chicks) are fed protein-rich insects, while adults consume more seeds. - **Primary Foods:** Cereal grains, Weed seeds, Beetles, Caterpillars, Spiders, Grasshoppers - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** Common Kestrel (*Falco tinnunculus*) — Kestrels hunt small birds in open fields. - **Eaten by:** [Red Fox](https://www.snappit.app/explore/red-fox) (*Vulpes vulpes*) — Foxes prey on ground-nesting birds and eggs. - **Eats:** Common Wheat (*Triticum aestivum*) — They feed on seeds from cereal crops. - **Eats:** [Annual Meadow-grass](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annual-meadow-grass) (*Poa annua*) — Buntings consume seeds from various common grasses. - **Eats:** [Ground Beetle](https://www.snappit.app/explore/ground-beetle) (*Carabus nemoralis*) — Adults and chicks eat these common insects. ## Traits - [Feathered](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/feathered): Feathered describes animals, primarily birds, possessing a covering of feathers. - [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring. - [Singing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/singing): Singing animals produce complex vocalizations, often for purposes of attracting mates, defending territory, or communicating within their species. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. ## Collections - [Birds](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/birds) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Enjoy watching birds from a distance and don't disturb their nests. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Corn Bunting? Compare the silhouette, bill shape, tail length, wing bars and markings around the eyes. The same small brown bird at your feeder can look quite different in breeding plumage, winter plumage or its first year. Bird Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How long is Corn Bunting? 16-19 cm ### What is Corn Bunting's wingspan? 23-26 cm ### How much does Corn Bunting weigh? 0.038-0.056 kg ### How long does Corn Bunting live? 2-8 years ### How fast can Corn Bunting move? 50 km/h ### What does Corn Bunting eat? Mainly eats seeds and grains, especially in winter, switching to insects and spiders in summer. ### Where is Corn Bunting usually found? Grasslands ## Where to spot - [Teno Rural Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/teno-rural-park) — Canarias, ES · Park ## More Birds - [Black-crowned Night Heron](https://www.snappit.app/explore/black-crowned-night-heron) (*Nycticorax nycticorax*) - [Anna's Hummingbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/annas-hummingbird) (*Calypte anna*) - [Great Egret](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-egret) (*Ardea alba*) - [Blue Jay](https://www.snappit.app/explore/blue-jay) (*Cyanocitta cristata*) --- Source: [Corn Bunting: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/corn-bunting)