Winter buntings
There are four resident species of bunting in the UK. The Yellowhammer and Reed Bunting are common birds; the Corn Bunting massively declining and now somewhat localised; and the Cirl Bunting is restricted to parts of Devon and a few Cornish sites.
Corn Bunting
Corn Buntings are whoppers of buntings, looking closer to Sky Larks or even Starlings in size, rather than the smaller species. And they are also exceptionally plain looking, lacking even white outer tail feathers. Their plain, streaky drabness is all part of the charm of these large-billed, dangly-legged, wire-perching ‘key-janglers’ of open agricultural land. In winter, they are birds of stubble fields and open weedy country, often gathering in pretty large flocks.
Reed Bunting
Although essentially a reed-loving bird (choosing this habitatabove others in the breeding season), in winter, they may wander more widely, turning up in farmland, scrubby areas, and even gardens, not necessarily close to water (though wetter habitats are still preferred, in general). Reed Buntings are arguably the most sparrow-like of our buntings, especially in toned-down winter colours, but have a cheeky charm of their own.
Yellowhammer
In summer, the male Yellowhammer is one those birds which can take the unwary by surprise: it is just so amazingly yellow; not how you would imagine a British bird to be. As winter progresses, though, they are less strikingly yellow, being like a toned down version of their summer self. The yellow tones are always there, though, even in the duller female, as are the chestnut rump and the white outer tail feathers. Like other buntings, Yellowhammers will gather in seed-eating flocks in winter.
Cirl Bunting
Restricted to southern Devon and nearby Cornish sites, there are fewer than 1,000 pairs of Cirl Bunting nesting in the country. They are pretty similar to Yellowhammers, but have very different facial patterns (especially the dark-throated males) and greenish, not chestnut, rumps. The calls are more piercing, too. Remember, if you want to see one (or more) you will have to take a trip down to the south coast of Devon (or Cornwall)