The Black-faced Bunting is an East Asian migrant rather than a regular U.S. bird. A breeding male has a smoky gray head, dark face, brown back, and a yellowish underside.
Appearance
Appearance
It is about 5.7 in (14.5 cm) long. A breeding male has a dark gray head, black around the bill and eyes, a brown streaked back, and a pale yellow-green underside; females are browner and less boldly marked.
Where it lives
Typical habitats
streamside thickets
forest edges
brushy fields
Range
It breeds from southern Siberia across northern China and winters from northeastern India through southern China and northern Southeast Asia. Its normal range does not include the United States.
Seasonal presence
It is a long-distance migrant within Asia.
Behavior
Diet
Adults mainly take seeds outside the breeding season and add insects when feeding young.
Social life
It often feeds low in thick cover or on the ground, alone or in small groups.
Life cycle
Nest
In its Asian breeding range, it nests on the ground or in a tree amid dense streamside growth.
Clutch size
Usually 4–5 eggs.
Name and classification
About the name
Masked Bunting (Emberiza personata) was formerly treated as a of Black-faced Bunting but is now a separate species.