Emberiza tahapisi
Cinnamon-breasted Buntings, or to call them by a previous colloquial name Rock Buntings, inhabit stony and rocky slopes and hillsides, rocky outcrops, dry rocky streambeds, bare stony patches and even abandoned quarries and borrow-pits in woodland, savanna and grassland, and are regularly seen foraging on road verges. They are mainly seed-eaters but include a fair number of insects in their diet, and require regular access to drinking water.
Usually encountered singly, in pairs or small groups of three or four, it is highly unusual to find larger congregations of Cinnamon-breasted Buntings. They breed during spring and summer, forming monogamous pairs that build cup-shaped nests at the base of grass tufts or next to a rock. Clutches of 2-4 eggs are incubated by both parents over a 2 week period. Both parents feed the chicks at the nest until they fledge about two weeks after hatching, and the chicks remain with their parents for another month or so thereafter before moving off. Fully grown, Cinnamon-breasted Buntings weigh about 15g and measure 15cm in length.
The Cinnamon-breasted Bunting has a wide distribution throughout sub-Saharan Africa, with the exception of deserts and the equatorial forest. In South Africa they’re found over most of the eastern half of the country. The IUCN considers the species to be of least concern.
DeWetsWild 
How lovely – your photos capture their cuteness 🙂
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Thanks very much, Carol!
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Beautiful bird! Joubert’s photos are great 🤗
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Thanks, Carol. He had great fun following the buntings around the camps we visited in December.
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His photos in combination with yours make for an ever richer and well-illustrated story!
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Truthfully these shared hobbies is something I really treasure!
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I can imagine!
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Such a beautiful little bird and I admit the name is also charming and sounds tasty 🙂
Wishing you and all your family a wonderful, safe week ahead!
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Thank you very much, Takami! I agree that it’s a most delectable name.
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Reminds me of a bird that frequents our location in the spring-summer- the Black-headed Grosbeak
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-headed_Grosbeak/id
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The female grosbeak looks very similar indeed, Jane – thank you!
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They’re pretty cute and I like the name. It’s appealing.
janet
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They’re quite adorable little birds!
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Your header photograph is superb. These are striking birds and I like the way you show them in different habitats 🙂
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Thank you very much, Anne. We really did have our best sightings of them during our December visits to the national parks in the Cape, and then an excellent and surprising encounter at Cape Vidal!
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Pretty little bird! Thank you for the information about this bird, it’s the first time I see the Cinnamon-breasted Bunting. Great post, D. 🙂
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Glad we could introduce you then, H.J. Thank you!
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