Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana

The Ortolan Bunting breeds through much of temperate and cold regions of Eurasia from Iberia to Siberia and Central Asia (but not in the UK). They migrate south, mainly at night, for the winter.

The male bunting's breeding plumage has a grey head with white eye, a prominent, offwhite moustache, yellow throat, smooth rufous front and streaky brown back. He also has a red bill.

The female bunting has the same moustache but a brown head and a streaky chest. Ortolans are eaten as a delicacy in France despite laws now banning it.

Populations are local and isolated. These photos were taken in autumn in Kazakhstan by Alexandra Makhnina.