Hello, everyone! Today, I’d like to talk about a small bird hiding in nature close to us, the Black-faced Bunting.
The Black-faced Bunting is about 16cm in length, slightly larger than a sparrow. Its body is covered with brown feathers, characterized by black vertical stripes. What’s more, the male’s yellow-green head is striking. On the other hand, the female is paler than the male, overall showing yellow-green or olive colors. Their bellies are yellow, with the male’s color being more vivid.
The Black-faced Bunting is found all over Japan. Especially, it often breeds in bright forests or forest edges at altitudes of about 1000 meters in central Honshu. In winter, they move to warmer places or lowlands, and also come to parks and gardens in urban areas to overwinter. Outside the breeding season, they often move in groups of several birds. They are very cautious and rarely show themselves in front of people.
Now, let’s talk about the Black-faced Bunting’s song. Although they belong to the Bunting family, their song is unique. For example, you can hear a distinctive warble like “Chot, Chi, Chot, Chichiku-tsuri.” They sing each note slowly and separately, which makes you feel peaceful when listening to it.
However, because they resemble sparrows, they tend to be overlooked. But if you listen carefully to their thin “chit-chit” voices and approach slowly to observe, you might discover the Black-faced Bunting. Next time you visit a park or forest, please try listening for the sound of the Black-faced Bunting. You might encounter them in unexpected ways!
