The Lapland bunting, also known as the Lapland longspur is a low-slung, robust bunting that breeds across Arctic Europe and Canada, and arrives in the UK for winter in September.
It is slightly larger than the reed bunting and in non-breeding plumage the male has brown upperparts with a mottled black bib and streaks on the flanks, and a chestnut nape and wing panels. The underparts are creamy-white. On the head, there is a broad, pale stripe over the eye, and a black line around the cheek. The bill is thick and yellow, that has adapted for eating seeds. The female has less distinct markings with a pale crown with dark sides, a reddish-buff face, and dull rufous nape.
It spends most of its time on the ground often in small flocks picking seeds before flying away to look for a new foraging area. It has a dry, hard, rattling trill, often heard in flight, and a short, warbled song that it usually delivers when perching on a rock.
The Lapland bunting is a scarce visitor, but can be spotted along the east coast of the UK in salt marshes, rough fields, and rocky coastal grasslands.
This article was originally published by Birdspot.co.uk. Read the original article here..
