Bird of the week: Lark-like bunting

They are very common nomadic flocks at all times appearing and disappearing overnight in large flocks of hundreds.

They are often in the company of larks. Found in the dry western parts of South Africa in arid savanna, Karoo, rocky slopes of koppies and dry watercourses.

These buntings forage on the ground walking like larks. They also jump to get at seeds on standing grass. Flushes reluctantly usually not flying far. They feed on seed, small green caterpillars and other insects.

They sing from the top of rocks or bush, a monotonous repeated canary-like trill of notes chiririri – chippy – chirp – chirpy. On take-off and during a jinking and undulating flight, they have a dull single tip or chut call note.

The breeding season is September until May, which can vary with rainfall. The nest is a shallow cup of grass and roots in a foundation of coarse sticks lined with rootlets usually on the south east side of a stony slope. Both male and female gather material for the building, but only the male does the construction.

Three greenish or bluish white blotched eggs are laid. The incubation is 13 days and nestling for 12 to 13 days.

There is no tribal name but in Afrikaans die vaalstreepkoppie.