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Golden-breasted Bunting (Emberiza flaviventris)
Other names
Afrikaans: Rooirugstreepkoppie
Dutch: goudborstgors, Acacia-gors
French: Bruant à poitrine dorée
German: Gelbbauchammer
Portuguese: Escrevedeira-de-peito-dourado
Scientific classification
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Fringillidae
Genus: Emberiza
A colourful bird (15-16cm) found in pairs in open woodlands and bushveld, often with stony ground cover. Its striking head pattern along with chestnut mantle and a rich yellow breast washed with orange are easily distinguished from other buntings and finches. It also has a distinct notch in its tail-tip. In flight, it may be distinguished by its white wing bars.
It's call sounds like 'pret-ty-boyeee' followed by mate with sitee and it's song, given year-round a whistled toodletee, chipchipchip or chipchee, choy or chokchok-chwee, rrrech, chip chip terrr, much repeated.
Distribution: Sub-Saharan Africa, but absent from western Africa. Widespread in Southern Africa except for southern and westen Namibia, south-western Kalahari, semi-arid and arid Karoo and Western Cape fynbos.
Habitat: Savannas, woodlands, dry woodlands along rivers, tall shrubland on stony or rocky ground, edges of croplands and exotic plantations.
General Habits: This is an unobtrusive bird, but not particularly shy. Can be found solitary, in pairs or family groups in breeding season.
Foraging and food: Forages on ground and in canopy of shrubs and small trees. Eats flower buds, seeds and insects, including small grasshoppers, beetles, termites and ants.
Breeding: Monogamous, solitary nester. The nest is fairly deep, loosely built cup of grass stems pliable plant stems and tendrils and leaf petioles. It is lined with fine rootlets and hair, frequently long hairs from the tails of cattle. Laying dates: Sept/Oct-Feb/Apr.
Status: Common resident.
Conservation: Not threatened, although captured illegally for cage-bird trade.
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