Harris bunting
| Harris bunting | ||||||||||||
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Harris bunting, young bird |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Zonotrichia querula | ||||||||||||
| ( Nuttall , 1840) |
The Harris bunting ( Zonotrichia querula ) is a monotypical songbird species from the New World Chamber family . It occurs only in northern North America. It is the largest species among the Nearctic Zonotrichia species. The IUCN classifies them as 
(= least concern - not endangered).
Appearance
The Harris bunting reaches a height of 16 to 19 centimeters. The wingspan is 23 to 26 centimeters. The weight varies between 35 and 45 grams.
Adult Harris bunting has a black face mask that extends from the throat over the face to the top of the head and also over the eye. In some individuals, a dark eye stripe runs from the eye in a crescent shape to the nape of the neck, so that they frame the gray-brown ear mark. In most individuals, however, this stripe is absent or barely recognizable. The rest of the head is gray, the neck is brown. The beak is pink, the iris is brown. A thin black collar separates the head from the white underside of the body. A blurred black bib extends over the collar to the front chest. The trunk is gray-brown, the coat is brown with dark brown dashes. The feet and legs are pale pink-brown.
Non-breeding birds keep the black face mask, but the rest of the head is pale chestnut in color. Fledglings have a simple brown head. The forehead and the crown of the head are dark dashed, the throat is white with black dashed lines. The underside of the body is white or pale reddish brown with small brown spots.
Distribution area
The Harris's bunting breeds in an area that stretches from the Mackenzie River Delta to southwest Hudson Bay . The Harris-Ammer prefers forest edges as a habitat, but it is also often observed further north in the tundra in densely overgrown river valleys.
It is a migratory bird that overwinters in the southern United States.
Way of life
The harris bunting is omnivorous . Their food spectrum includes fruits and seeds, the needles of conifers and arthropods . In the winter months it often forms large swarms. In contrast, the males defend a breeding ground during the breeding season. According to current knowledge, Harris-Ammern enter into a monogamous seasonal marriage.
Harris' bunting are ground brooders, the nest is nothing more than a shallow, scratched hollow that is covered with a little moss and lichen. The clutch consists of three to four eggs. These are pale to dark green in color and have brown spots. The breeding season is twelve to 14 days. Only the female parent bird breeds. The nestlings fledge after eight to ten days.
supporting documents
literature
- Richard Sale: A Complete Guide to Arctic Wildlife. Christopher Helm Publisher, London 2006, ISBN 0-7136-7039-8 .
Single receipts
Web links
- Zonotrichia querula inthe IUCN 2012 Red List of Threatened Species . Listed by: BirdLife International, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2013.