Another nice tick for the month-list down here in Lanjaron! Rock Bunting Emberiza cia breed throughout Spain and Portugal and right across the Mediterranean region. They favour steep, rocky areas with scattered crags, boulders and bushes…and the hillsides of Andalucia provide this attractive little bird with everything it needs!
Compact, slim and colourful, the Rock Bunting has a distinctive grey head and chest, and shows strong black stripes on the crown, through the eye and below the cheek. Their long, dark tails are edged in white, and they have warm, orange-brown undersides and rich, rusty brown streaks on their backs.
They feed mainly on insects during the summer months, but at other times Rock Bunting take seeds. They feed in clearings between low rocks and thorny shrubs, and in winter small flocks descend to lower levels and can be found surprisingly close to the village.
All in all, a nice addition to any day-list in the Alpujarras, and it’s great to have some new shots to post today. As always we’ll be posting regular updates as the month progresses…so please, keep checking in for all the latest birdwatching news from
