Ortolan Bunting

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Ortolan Bunting in the UK

Ortolan Bunting is a scarce passage migrant in Britain and does not breed here. The first British record dates from 1776. Birds pass through between breeding grounds in northern and eastern Europe and wintering areas in West Africa. Most are seen in late August and early September, with a smaller passage in spring. Records have become less common as the European population has declined, and recent years have been poor. Night sound recording suggests some are missed: in autumn 2016 Ortolans were detected 31 times at two Dorset sites.

Where and when to see an Ortolan Bunting

Late August to late September. Work coastal headlands and islands in the south and east: Portland Bill in Dorset is one of the more regular sites, and the Isles of Scilly another. Look on stubble, weedy field edges, short turf and tracks, where birds feed quietly on the ground. Early morning after a clear night is best. Many are first picked up on call as they fly over. Shetland and the east coast also get a few in May.

Habitat, diet and field notes

Habitat: Open farmland, vineyards.
Diet: Seeds.
Field note: Subject of historic hunting controversy.

How to identify an Ortolan Bunting

About the size of a Yellowhammer. All ages show a pink bill, pink legs and a bold pale eye-ring, which gives a gentle, open-faced look. Adult males have a grey-green head and breast, a pale yellow throat and moustache stripe, and orange-buff underparts. Most British birds are first-autumn: brown and streaked above, with a yellowish-buff throat, fine streaks across the breast and a warm buff belly. The rump is dull brown, not chestnut. White outer tail feathers show as it flies up.

Call and song

The usual flight call is a short, soft 'plik' on one pitch, sometimes mixed with a clearer 'tew'. That call is how most are now found. The song, a ringing series of notes that drops at the end, is rarely heard in Britain. Heard something you cannot place? Bird Hear identifies UK birds from a 10 second recording, free in your browser.

Confusion species

• Yellowhammer: Yellowhammer has a grey bill, no clear eye-ring and a bright chestnut rump.
• Cretzschmar's Bunting: This far rarer vagrant has a blue-grey head and a rusty-orange throat with no yellow anywhere.

Month by month

A passage migrant. Look for it on spring and autumn movements rather than through the summer. Numbers peak in April. See the April birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Rare birds in the UK.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

Conservation status and Birdedex points

In the Birdedex the Ortolan Bunting is an Epic tier bird, worth +20 points when you log one. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Black-headed BuntingEpic · Open scrub (vagrant)
• Chestnut BuntingLegendary · Open woodland (extreme vagrant)
• Red-headed BuntingLegendary · Open ground (very rare)
• Yellow-throated BuntingLegendary · Open woodland (extreme vagrant)
• Cirl BuntingRare · Sunny mixed farmland
• YellowhammerCommon · Hedged farmland

Ortolan Bunting: quick answers

Has an Ortolan Bunting ever been seen in the UK?

Yes, every year, though in small and falling numbers. It has been known as a British bird since 1776. Almost all are migrants that stop for a day or two on the coast in autumn or spring.

Is the Ortolan Bunting rare in the UK?

It is scarce and getting scarcer. A day-birder in Dorset might expect only a handful in the whole county in a year. Sound recorders left running at night pick up more, which shows that some fly over unseen.

What does an Ortolan Bunting eat?

Seeds for most of the year, and insects in the breeding season. Migrants in Britain feed on the ground in stubble and weedy fields, often alone or with other buntings and pipits.

Kit that helps

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