Skip to main content

Photo: Nigel Voaden from UK / CC BY-SA 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Least Concern

Gosling’s Bunting

Emberiza goslingi

Gosling's Bunting (Emberiza goslingi) — 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 Gosling’s Bunting (Emberiza goslingi) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Africa. Adults weigh 13 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 goslingi

Where it lives

Sahel zone rocky hillsides: Mauritania and Senegal east to southwestern Sudan and northeastern DR Congo; in south to northern Cameroon, northern Central African Republic and northern South Sudan

Quick facts

Weight
13 g
Family
Emberizidae

How to identify

Similar birds

Biology & behaviour

Diet

The Gosling’s Bunting is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Behaviour

A bird of rocky terrain, it forages mainly on the ground.

Migration

The Gosling’s Bunting is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

The Gosling’s Bunting (Emberiza goslingi) belongs to the Emberizidae family of the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Africa. Its distribution covers AF Sahel zone rocky hillsides: Mauritania and Senegal e to sw Sudan and ne DR Congo; in s to n Cameroon, n Central African Republic and n South Sudan.

It is a very small bird. Adults weighs around 13 g, with a wing length of about 7.6 cm and a tail of around 5.9 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 2.9 million km².

Songs & calls

Gosling’s Bunting — Song

Recorded by Oscar Campbell Licence: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

Frequently asked questions

How big is the Gosling’s Bunting?

The Gosling’s Bunting is a very small bird that weighs around 13 g.

Where does the Gosling’s Bunting live?

The Gosling’s Bunting is found across Africa with a range covering AF Sahel zone rocky hillsides: Mauritania and Senegal e to sw Sudan and ne DR Congo; in s to n Cameroon, n Central African Republic and n South Sudan, where it favours open grassland, scrub and lightly vegetated country.

What family does the Gosling’s Bunting belong to?

The Gosling’s Bunting (Emberiza goslingi) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.

What does the Gosling’s Bunting eat?

The Gosling’s Bunting is a granivore — it feeds mainly on seeds and grain.

Does the Gosling’s Bunting migrate?

The Gosling’s Bunting is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.

Is the Gosling’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 Gosling’s Bunting make?

1 real field recording of the Gosling’s 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 Gosling’s Bunting's range?

The Gosling’s Bunting has a mapped global range of about 2.9 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