The cirl bunting (Emberiza cirlus) at heart is the Mediterranean version of the yellowhammer, and over the years has acted as something of a continental flirt as far as this country is concerned.
First recorded only in 1800 – and presumably very rare until then – it spent the next 120 years colonising southern England as far as the Midlands, only to crash to 100 pairs or so by the end of the 1980s. Since then, mainly through intensive conservation work, it has held on, mainly in Devon, and is now increasing again, but still remains very rare.
In this guide we take a closer look at the cirl bunting, revealing what it looks like, where you can see it, its call, nesting habits and UK populations.
Interested in learning more about Britain’s songbirds? Check out our guides to tits, warblers and blackbirds.
Buntings guide
Buntings are a group of seed-eating birds that bear many of the same characteristics as finches. Learn all about these special songbirds, including six species to look out for in Britain, with your expert guide to buntings.
Cirl bunting identification
Quite apart from its unfamiliarity, the cirl bunting is a difficult bird to tell from the yellowhammer. The breeding male has a smart three-striped head – black throat, black crown and black eye-stripe – and the female has a pale streaky head – but otherwise it just looks like a slightly smaller yellowhammer with a smaller, more sunken head.
Sharp-eyed birdwatchers might notice that both sexes have an olive-grey, not chestnut rump, and that the streaks on the breast are neat and narrow, as if written with an HB pencil.
Cirl bunting song
The peculiar name “cirl” derives from Italian “zirlare”, which means to chirp or sing, but the French name, Bruant zizi, gives a better clue to the cirl bunting’s insect-like song. It is a dry trill on a single note, similar to a yellowhammer without the “cheese”. The thought of a common French bird not expressing “cheese” seems wrong somehow.
Learn more about the difference between cirl buntings, yellowhammers and corn buntings:
Credit: BTO Video
Cirl bunting nests
The cirl bunting is a distinctly elusive, retiring bird. It nests in thick, tangled hedgerows and forages on the ground unobtrusively.
Cirl bunting diet and habitat
In common with the yellowhammer, it takes a large number of grasshoppers in its food, and this means that it does best in very insect-rich undisturbed grassy fields among a patchwork of light farmland.
In winter it gathers in small flocks, often with yellowhammers, providing a good test of your ID skills.
Britain's most melodic songbirds
In Britain we are blessed with an incredible variety of beautiful birdsong from late winter into early summer. From the nightingale to the blackbird, here is your guide to the best British songbirds, including how to identify each species.
Cirl bunting populations
Cirl buntings are present in the UK all year round, with 1100 breeding pairs, increasing (Red List of Conservation Concern).
