Tim writes: Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalus) is the eastern counterpart of the European Yellowhammer, even though the males are extremely dissimilar. But their songs and calls sound the same, and the females look similar, except Pine Buntings lack any yellow, especially in the flight feathers. But to complicate matters the two species interbreed where they come together. Pine Buntings breed across much of temperate Asia in open, grassy habitats with scattered trees and scrub, and the trees are often conifers, hence the name. This one is perched in a Korean Spruce (Picea koraiensis) by the way.
They migrate south to winter in southern China and Northern India, plus much of southeast Asia. They occasionally turn up in Britain on migration, and have overwintered on rare occasions. This was the only male in a flock of five birds photographed in a pine tree at Baxi in Sichuan. He’s in winter plumage where the chestnut throat is flecked with white. The white crown (just about visible) gave rise to its scientific name leucocephalus that means white-headed, though the most distinctive feature of males is the white cheeks.
[registration_form]