Black-headed Bunting

Black-headed Bunting
This species is defined as a Review Species . Please submit your records of this species via our record submission page .

Scientific Name: Emberiza melanocephala

Malay Name: Pipit-Belukar Besar

Chinese Name: 黑头鹀

Range: Breeding range include southeastern Europe to Iran and southwestern Pakistan and typically winters in western India.

Taxonomy: Monotypic.

Size: 15.5-17.5 cm

Identification: Challenging to separate females and juveniles from Red-headed Bunting (Emberiza bruniceps), features that have been used to separate the two include the degree of crown streaking (more streaked), rump colour (less yellow), bill structure (larger), and primary projection (longer).

Habitat: Found in open habitats with dense vegetation, including open fields and scrub forests.

Behaviour/Ecology: Feeds on invertebrates and plant material, typically forages on ground or low in vegetation.

Local Status: Vagrant

Conservation Status: Least Concern (BirdLife International 2016)

Featured articles:

Past records in our database:

Showing only accepted records. Note that records currently under review are also not displayed, and the list may not be a full list of records of this species in Singapore. For more details, check the database here.

Migrant bar chart (see more bar charts):

Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala
Average number of individuals by week based on Singapore Bird Database data, Jul 2014 to Jun 2024 (all records)
Peak weeks Nov 12-Nov 18, Nov 19-Nov 25
Early date 18 Nov 2018
Late date 22 Nov 2018
One record in Nov 2018 added this bird to the Singapore Bird Checklist, and there have been no records since.
Black-headed Bunting at Neo Tiew Harvest Place. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Black-headed Bunting at Neo Tiew Harvest Place. Photo credit: Francis Yap
Black-headed Bunting at Neo Tiew Harvest Place. Photo credit: Francis Yap

External Links:

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List Page

Sound Recordings: xeno-canto Link

Wikipedia Entry: Wikipedia Link

eBird Species page: eBird (Black-headed Bunting)

References:

BirdLife International. (2016). Emberiza melanocephala. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T22720990A89314245.en. Accessed on 1 January 2023

RECOMMENDED CITATION

Bird Society of Singapore. (n.d.). Black-headed Bunting. Retrieved on July 18, 2025 from https://singaporebirds.com/species/black-headed-bunting.

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