Photo: Todd Boland from St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Cape Bunting
Emberiza capensis
Cape Bunting (Emberiza capensis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found on 1 guide in our atlas — open it for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cape Bunting (Emberiza capensis) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 20.9 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Emberizidae Buntings
- Genus Emberiza
- Species capensis
Where it lives
Open rocky shrubland of southern Africa: southwestern Angola east to western Mozambique, south through southern South Africa
Quick facts
- Weight
- 20.9 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cape Bunting is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Behaviour
A bird of open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Cape Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Cape Bunting (Emberiza capensis) belongs to the Emberizidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF open rocky shrubland of s Africa: sw Angola e to w Mozambique, s through s South Africa.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 20.9 g, with a wing length of about 7.7 cm and a tail of around 6.1 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 1.3 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cape Bunting?
The Cape Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 20.9 g.
Where does the Cape Bunting live?
The Cape Bunting is found across Africa with a range covering AF open rocky shrubland of s Africa: sw Angola e to w Mozambique, s through s South Africa, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Cape Bunting belong to?
The Cape Bunting (Emberiza capensis) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cape Bunting eat?
The Cape Bunting is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Cape Bunting migrate?
The Cape Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Cape 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 Cape Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Cape Bunting can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cape Bunting's range?
The Cape Bunting has a mapped global range of about 1.3 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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Guides for this bird
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