Skip to main content

Photo: Ron Knight from Seaford, East Sussex, United Kingdom / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Brown-rumped Bunting

Emberiza affinis

Brown-rumped Bunting (Emberiza affinis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.

Field guide · LocationsWhere to see this bird

Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.

Regional checklists
See what's near you right now

The Brown-rumped Bunting (Emberiza affinis) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 15.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.

LC Least Concern

Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.

Where it fits

  1. Class Aves
  2. Order Passeriformes
  3. Family Emberizidae Buntings
  4. Genus Emberiza
  5. Species affinis

Where it lives

Sahel zone and northeastern African mesic woodland: Senegal, far southern Mauritania to northern Guinea east to western, southern Ethiopia, northern Uganda and western Kenya

Quick facts

Weight
15.4 g
Family
Emberizidae
Habitat
Woodland

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Brown-rumped Bunting is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Behaviour

A bird of semi-open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Brown-rumped Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

The Brown-rumped Bunting (Emberiza affinis) is a member of the Emberizidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sahel zone and ne African mesic woodland: Senegal, far s Mauritania to n Guinea e to w, s Ethiopia, n Uganda and w Kenya.

It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 15.4 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 6.2 cm.

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

Its mapped global range covers an estimated 1.4 million km².

Songs & calls

Brown-rumped Bunting — Song

Recorded by Peter Boesman Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Brown-rumped Bunting?

The Brown-rumped Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 15.4 g.

Where does the Brown-rumped Bunting live?

The Brown-rumped Bunting is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sahel zone and ne African mesic woodland: Senegal, far s Mauritania to n Guinea e to w, s Ethiopia, n Uganda and w Kenya, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.

What family does the Brown-rumped Bunting belong to?

The Brown-rumped Bunting (Emberiza affinis) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Brown-rumped Bunting eat?

The Brown-rumped Bunting is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.

Does the Brown-rumped Bunting migrate?

The Brown-rumped Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.

Is the Brown-rumped Bunting endangered?

The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.

What sound does the Brown-rumped Bunting make?

1 real field recording of the Brown-rumped Bunting — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.

How large is the Brown-rumped Bunting's range?

The Brown-rumped Bunting has a mapped global range of about 1.4 million km².

Conservation

Least Concern

Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.

How to help birds

Explore more birds

More in Emberizidae

More in Songbirds

Guides for this bird

Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds

How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.

4 min read

Back to top