Black-headed bunting

Description

This bird is 15 cm long,larger than reed bunting,and long-tailed.The breeding male has bright yellow underparts,chestnut upperparts and a black hood.The female is a washed-out version of the male,with paler underparts,a grey-brown back and a greyish head.The juvenile is similar but the vent is yellow,and both can be difficult to separate from the corresponding plumages of the closely related red-headed bunting although the black-headed tends to have the cheeks darker than the throat.First year males have a grey crown and the back has patches of chestnut and grey.First year females can be difficult to separate from female red-headed buntings although having more streaking on the crown than on the lower back.The vent is yellow.The black- and red-headed buntings represent sister species which forms a clade along with the crested bunting.