Photo: Johann Friedrich Naumann / Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
Cretzschmar’s Bunting
Emberiza caesia
Cretzschmar's Bunting (Emberiza caesia) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 13 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting (Emberiza caesia) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 19.9 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 caesia
Where it lives
Northeastern Mediterranean semiarid coastal plain and islets: southern Albania, Greece, Crete, western, southern Turkey and Cyprus to Israel and western Jordan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 19.9 g
- Diet
- Seed-eaters
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Cretzschmar’s 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 Cretzschmar’s Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting (Emberiza caesia) belongs to the Emberizidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL ne Mediterranean semiarid coastal plain and islets: s Albania, Greece, Crete, w, s Turkey and Cyprus to Israel and w Jordan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 19.9 g, with a wing length of about 8.3 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 344,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Cretzschmar’s Bunting?
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 19.9 g.
Where does the Cretzschmar’s Bunting live?
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL ne Mediterranean semiarid coastal plain and islets: s Albania, Greece, Crete, w, s Turkey and Cyprus to Israel and w Jordan, where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Cretzschmar’s Bunting belong to?
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting (Emberiza caesia) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Cretzschmar’s Bunting eat?
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.
Does the Cretzschmar’s Bunting migrate?
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Cretzschmar’s 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 Cretzschmar’s Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Cretzschmar’s Bunting — including its flight call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Cretzschmar’s Bunting's range?
The Cretzschmar’s Bunting has a mapped global range of about 344,000 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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