Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Golden-breasted Bunting
Emberiza flaviventris
Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Africa.
Found across 3 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 18.2 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 flaviventris
Where it lives
Sahel zone and disjunctly eastern, southern Africa in open woodland: southern Mauritania to northern Eritrea and far northern Ethiopia; southern DR Congo and far southern South Sudan through eastern Africa, south through South Africa (except southwestern)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.2 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
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Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Golden-breasted Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Golden-breasted Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
The Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris) is a member of the Emberizidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sahel zone and disjunctly e, s Africa in open woodland: s Mauritania to n Eritrea and far n Ethiopia; s DR Congo and far s South Sudan through e Africa, s through South Africa (except sw).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.2 g, with a wing length of about 8.1 cm and a tail of around 7.1 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 7 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Golden-breasted Bunting?
The Golden-breasted Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 18.2 g.
Where does the Golden-breasted Bunting live?
The Golden-breasted Bunting is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sahel zone and disjunctly e, s Africa in open woodland: s Mauritania to n Eritrea and far n Ethiopia; s DR Congo and far s South Sudan through e Africa, s through South Africa (except sw), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Golden-breasted Bunting belong to?
The Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Golden-breasted Bunting eat?
The Golden-breasted Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Golden-breasted Bunting migrate?
The Golden-breasted Bunting is largely sedentary, staying within its range year-round rather than making regular long-distance migrations.
Is the Golden-breasted 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 Golden-breasted Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Golden-breasted 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 Golden-breasted Bunting's range?
The Golden-breasted Bunting has a mapped global range of about 7 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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