Family:
The ortolan bunting is a small, delicate passerine closely related to Cretzschmar’s bunting.
It resembles the yellowhammer, with brown-streaked upperparts and pale orange underparts. The head is greenish-grey with a yellow chin and throat, along with a yellow line running beneath the cheek. The eyes are black, surrounded by a white or yellow eyering, and the bill, legs, and feet are pink. The female is similar but duller overall, with fine streaks on the breast and crown.
The ortolan bunting is considered a delicacy in French cuisine, typically cooked and eaten whole. Tradition dictates that diners cover their heads with a napkin while eating it. Due to its popularity, laws were introduced in 1999 to restrict its consumption.
Try our interactive bird identifier
Ortolan buntings forage on the ground for seeds and also feed on beetles and other insects when feeding their young.
The ortolan bunting is found across much of Europe and western Asia, extending as far north as Scandinavia and beyond the Arctic Circle. It inhabits open agricultural areas like cornfields, as well as mountainous regions with trees and bushes, and highland grasslands.
