Emberiza caesia
Habitats | Rocky Terrain, Mediterranean Batha, Semi-desert Batha, Parks & Woodlands |
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Presence In Israel | Summer Breeder, Migrant |
Nesting In Israel | Breeder |
Migration Types | Long Range |
Zoography Zones | Mediterranean, Irano-Turanian |
Landscape Formations | Mountainous |
Vegetation Formations | Mediterranean Garrigue, Steppe |
Vegetation Densities | Low, Medium |
Nest Locations | Ground |
Diet Types | Invertebrate, Herbivore |
Foraging Grounds | Ground |
Body Sizes | Small (up to 500g) |
Threat Factors | Plantations, Habitat Fragmentation, Aforestation |
Cretzschmar's Bunting is a medium-sized, slender, delicate bunting. The male has conspicuous plumage: bluish-grey head, dark brown throat and moustache, and a buffish-chestnut belly. The females and juveniles are paler and their plumage is grey-brown. Most individuals have a white eye-ring.
Its flight call is sharp and short, “cheep” and its song melodious, composed of a series of rising and falling whistles. Outside the breeding seasonת, Cretzschmar's Buntings form small flocks. It is a common passage migrant in both migration seasons and a relatively rare summer breeder. It nests in scrubland, shrubland and sparse native woodland on Mt. Hermon, the Golan Heights, the Eastern Galilee, Mt. Gilboa and the Judean and Samarian mountains south to the Northern Negev. Its decline is very pronounced in central and western Israel, and it is relatively common today only in the Golan Heights and the Mt. Hermon slopes.
No specific conservation measures have been taken for this species to date.
- ישראלי, נ. ופרלמן, י. 2013. סיכום סקר עופות מקננים בחרמון. דו"ח מרכז הצפרות של החברה להגנת הטבע.
- פז, ע. 1986. עופות. מתוך אלון, ע. (עורך), החי והצומח של ארץ ישראל. כרך 6. הוצאת משרד הביטחון, ישראל.
- Shirihai, H., 1996. The Birds of Israel. Academic Press, London.
- Symes, A. 2013. Species generation lengths. Unpublished, BirdLife International.
- Species page at Birdlife International
Current Occupancy Map
Distribution maps
The maps presented here provide visual information on the distribution of species in Israel in the past and present, and the changes in occupancy and nesting density during the comparison period. For further reading
Relative Abundance 2010-2020
Breeding density values as calculated from observation records and expert opinions.
Relative Abundance 1980-1990
Breeding density values are based mainly on the book Birds of Israel (Shirihai 1996).
Occupancy difference 1990-2020
A map that expresses differences in the breeding distribution between the evaluation periods (1980-1990 versus 2010-2020). Negative value - species previously present but is currently absent, positive value - species has not been recorded previously and is currently present, zero - no change in occupancy.
Relative abundance difference 1990-2020
A map that reflects the changes in the relative abundance of the species between the evaluation periods (1980-1990 versus 2010-2020). Negative values - decline in abundance, positive values - increase in abundance, zero - no change in abundance.
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