Ortolan
The Ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana) is a small seed-eating songbird found in Europe and Western Asia. The bird is widely used in French cuisine and due to this, its French populations dropped dangerously low, leading to laws restricting its use in 1999.
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DiurnalDiurnal animals are active during the daytime, with a period of sleeping or other inactivity at night. The timing of activity by an animal depends ...
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HerbivoreA herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically adapted to eating plant material, for example, foliage, for the main component of its die...
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GranivoreSeed predation, often referred to as granivory, is a type of plant-animal interaction in which granivores (seed predators) feed on the seeds of pla...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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ArborealArboreal locomotion is the locomotion of animals in trees. In habitats in which trees are present, animals have evolved to move in them. Some anima...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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AltricialAltricial animals are those species whose newly hatched or born young are relatively immobile. They lack hair or down, are not able to obtain food ...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Generally solitaryGenerally solitary animals are those animals that spend their time separately but will gather at foraging areas or sleep in the same location or sh...
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MigratingAnimal migration is the relatively long-distance movement of individual animals, usually on a seasonal basis. It is the most common form of migrati...
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starts withIn appearance and habits the Ortolan bunting much resembles its relative the yellowhammer, but lacks the bright coloring of that species; the ortolan's head, for instance, is greenish-grey, instead of a bright yellow.
Ortolan buntings are native to most European countries and western Asia. Their range reaches as far north as Scandinavia and beyond the Arctic Circle. These birds are far-distant migrants and spend their winters in Africa. Ortolan buntings inhabit an open landscape with trees, sparse shrubs, and not very dense grassy vegetation. They prefer forest edges and thickets of bushes among the fields. These birds can also be found in gardens and cultivated areas.
Ortolan buntings are generally solitary, however, during the breeding season they may gather in small groups at important feeding spots. They are active during the day spending most of their time foraging. They hop along the ground in search of seeds and walk or run when pursuing beetles and other insects. If disturbed Ortolans usually fly to a low branch or fence. Their common call is a short 'tsi' sound and the song of the males resembles that of the Yellowhammer but gentler and more melodic.
Ortolan buntings are herbivores (granivores) and carnivores (insectivores). They feed mainly on seeds but during the breeding season will switch their diet to various insects.
Ortolan buntings breed between mid-April and early June. They nest in separate pairs at a considerable distance from each other. However, sometimes pairs may nest together. Ortolans place their nest on the ground, hiding it in crops of cultivated cereals, and perennial grasses, among the sparse grassy vegetation under a small bush or a bunch of grass. The nest is built from dry stems and leaves of cereals, thin roots, and occasionally dry leaves. It is lined with roots, horsehair, and sometimes with feathers. The female lays 4-5 eggs and incubates them for about 11-12 days. The chicks hatch blind, helpless, and are fed and brooded by both parents. They remain in the nest for 10-13 days and start to learn to fly a few days later.
The main threats to the Ortolan buntings include habitat loss which leads to the lack of suitable foraging and nesting areas, the use of insecticides in agricultural areas where these birds typically forage, and isolation of the remaining populations due to habitat fragmentation. Ortolan buntings are also heavily hunted and trapped during their migration.
According to the IUCN Red List, the total population size of the Ortolan bunting is 8,000,000-17,999,999 mature individuals. In Europe, the breeding population consists of 3,330,000-7,070,000 pairs, which equates to 6,660,000-14,100,000 mature individuals. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List but its numbers today are decreasing.
