Monday, February 23, 2015

(delhibirdpix) Black-headed Bunting--New record from chandigarh

Black-headed Bunting  
Scientific name: Emberiza melanocephala 
Meaning : (Emberiza) Old World Bunting (melano) Black (cephala) Head

Today while birding in the morning at Kaimbwala a village behind the Sukhna Lake at Chandigarh I came across a Black-headed Bunting in a patch of scrub. The specimen had a grey crown and forehead with the rest of the face appeared black, for an instant I thought it was the uncommon black faced but the yellow wash extending around the throat and a quick reference to the field guide confirmed it was the Emberiza melanocephala non breeding male.
Normally the bird winters in western India and is fairly common in Rajasthan, Gujrat, Maharashtra and parts of Madhya Pradesh for us at Chandigarh it is an isolated record and an addition to the bird list of the region.

For those out birding around Chandigarh  do keep an eye out for this species, it may well be a species on passage through the region.

Regards
Narbir  

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