Birds of Britain 



Yellow Bunting receives too little recognition at our hands 

 and is not appreciated at his true worth. Harmless, bright, 

 and sociable in habits, he may be found throughout the year 

 in the open fields and hedgerows, and except during the 

 summer months, when insects form a large portion of his diet, 

 he is essentially a seed-eater, destroying in countless numbers 

 the seeds of the various weeds that have a hard struggle for 

 life amongst the cultivated crops. 



The nest is a neat structure of grass, roots, and moss 

 woven together and is lined with horsehair. Five eggs form 

 the usual clutch ; they are whitish streaked and veined, 

 after the manner characteristic of this family, with purplish 

 red. 



In autumn the young and old visit the standing crops 

 in family parties, and they pass the winter seeking their 

 food on the ground in stubbles and fallows or visiting the 

 stack-yards for the fallen grain. 



The male has the head, throat, and under parts bright 

 yellow, spotted or streaked, except on the throat, with dark 

 brown. Mantle yellowish brown with darker streaks. 

 Eump reddish brown. Wings brown with broad deep 

 rufous edgings to the secondaries and wing coverts. Tail 

 feathers dark brown with white spots near the tip of 

 the inner web of the two outer pairs. The female 

 resembles the male, but it is very much duller and darker 

 in colour. The young are pale brown all over, lighter 

 on the under parts and more rufous on the back, each 

 feather having a dark central stripe. Length 6'o in. ; 

 wing 3*25 in. 



This species is widely distributed throughout Great 



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