BUNTING  

Bunting is the common name of various small to medium-sized birds, including members of the genus Passerina, of the Americas; the FINCHES and SPARROWS, in North America; the genus Emberiza, of Eurasia; the snow bunting (Plectrophenax nivalis), which is holarctic, or distributed in northern Europe, northern Asia, and North America; the Lapland bunting, or LONGSPUR (Calcarius lapponicus), and its North American relatives; and the lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) of North America. Among the buntings of Passerina, the males are bright blue, red, or green and the females are brown, gray, or green. Both sexes of New World sparrows are plumaged alike in brown and gray, which is frequently streaked, but such finches as the rufous-sided towhee (Pipilo erythrophthalmus) are boldly marked. In Emberiza, the males are typically patterned in black, white, yellow, or rust, and the females are usually brown with streaks. Unlike other buntings, the snow bunting is mostly white. Many buntings have rich, varied songs. The open cup-shaped nests are usually on the ground or low in bushes or trees. Buntings eat seeds, berries, and insects.