褐头鹀种

主要在中亚国家繁殖，繁殖期为5至7月，会迁徒至印度和孟加拉越冬。在西欧、台湾本种是迷鸟，但亦可能在此繁殖且容易和圈养逃出的个体混淆。容易混淆的原因是因为这个物种比其相关的黑头鹀（Emberiza melanocephala）更常见，尽管后者物种的繁殖范围更偏西。有英国的报告指出本种在英国的数量急遽下降，与受到鹀科物种自部分亚洲非法鸟类贸易进口之冲击相吻合。

褐头鹀会在开阔的灌木丛甚至农地中繁殖。每巢通常产三至五个蛋。食物主要以种子为食，在需要喂养幼鸟时会捕虫。

褐头鹀长17厘米，比芦鹀（Emberiza schoeniclus）大并且尾羽更长。繁殖期时雄性下半部呈亮黄色，上半部呈绿色，脸和胸部呈褐红色。

雌性是雄性的褪色版，下半部颜色较浅呈灰褐色，头部为灰色。幼鸟外表跟雌性成鸟很相似，这时羽色和黑头鹀（Emberiza melanocephala）高度相像也容易被混淆。

褐头鹀的叫声偏高音，为略沙哑的sweet-sweet-churri-churri-churri。

The red-headed bunting (Melophus bruniceps) is a small passerine bird in the Old World bunting family Emberizidae. It breeds in central Asia, including Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia; Russia (European Russia, Central Asian Russia), Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China. It is migratory, wintering in India and Bangladesh.

This species was formerly placed in the genus Emberiza but in 2026 it was moved to the resurrected genus Melophus based on the results of a 2021 molecular genetic study.

Its status in western Europe, where it is a vagrant, has been confused by escapes, especially as this species has been more commonly recorded than the closely related black-headed bunting, despite the latter having a more westerly breeding range. Reports in Britain have declined dramatically over recent years, coinciding with the decline in some Emberizidae species from the impact of illegal trade. An individual found on Shetland in 2010 was deemed to be wild in origin.

The red-headed bunting breeds in open scrubby areas including agricultural land. It lays three to five eggs in a nest in a tree or bush. Its natural food consists of seeds, or when feeding young, insects.

This bird is 17 cm long, larger than the common reed bunting, with a long tail. The breeding male has bright yellow underparts, green upperparts and a brownish-red face and breast.

The female is a washed-out version of the male, with paler underparts, a grey-brown back and a greyish head. The juvenile is similar, and both can be difficult to separate from the corresponding plumages of black-headed bunting bird.

The song, given from a high perch, is a jerky sweet-sweet-churri-churri-churri.