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Cape Bunting


Cape Bunting
Photo Information
Copyright: Jan Hendrik van Rooyen (janhendrik) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 374 W: 65 N: 671] (2386)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-29
Categories: Birds
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Buntings-Kiraz Kusugiller, Birds of Southern Africa II [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2007-05-16 2:02
Viewed: 1530
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Cape Bunting (Emberiza capensis)

This picture was taken in Marekele National Park.
The Cape Bunting, Emberiza capensis, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It occurs in southern Africa from southwestern Angola, eastern Zambia, Zimbabwe and southern Tanzania to the Cape
Its habitat is rocky slopes and dry weedy scrub, mainly in mountains in the north of its range. Its lined cup nest is built low in a shrub or tussock. The 2-4 eggs are cream and marked with red-brown and lilac.
The Cape Bunting is 16cm long. The adult has a black crown, white supercilium and black-bordered white ear coverts. The upperparts are grey brown with some dark streaks, and the wing coverts are chestnut. The tail is darker chestnut, and the underparts are grey with a pale throat. The sexes are very similar, but females may have a buff tone to the white head markings. Young birds have duller chestnut wings, a less distinct head pattern, and heavier streaking extending on to the breast and flanks.
There are a dozen subspecies, differing in plumage, but all have the distinctive head pattern and rufous in the wings. The northeastern race E. c. vincenti is very dark above, and slaty below. It has reduced chestnut on the wing coverts. It is sometimes raised to species status as Vincent's Bunting Emberiza vincenti.
The Cape Bunting is not gregarious, and is normally seen alone, in pairs or family groups. It feeds on the ground on seeds, insects and spiders.
The Cape Bunting’s call is an ascending zzoo-zeh-zee-zee. The song is a loud chirping chup chup chup chup chee chhep chu. E. c. vincenti has a simple tre-re-ret tre-re-ret song.
This species previously utilized stony arid areas with some short grass, but much of this has been lost to ploughing.

SOURCE: Cape Bunting

IMAGE INFORMATION

Camera: Canon 20D
Camera mode: Aperture priority
Time of day: 13H47
Date: 29 July 2006
Lens: Canon 100-400mm IS USM
Shutter Speed: 1/1600 sec
F-Stop: F/5.6
Focal Length: 400mm
Support: Hand Held
ISO: 200
Original file type: Raw (CR2)
jhm, smitha, coasties, elefantino, vanderschelden, GLEM, uleko, MMM, Tamrock, Debz, SelenE, SkyF has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Mana Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1899 W: 36 N: 5578] (18516)
  • [2007-05-16 2:07]

Hi Jan,
Outstanding shot of the Cape Bunting. Superb natural colours, sharp details and great light management. POV, DOF, focus and BG are immaculate. Very nicely composed. Kudos.
TFS.
Sumon

  • Great 
  • jhm Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 649 W: 0 N: 178] (628)
  • [2007-05-16 2:15]

Hello Jan Hendrik,

Without your excellent note I thought at a sparrow, but I'm no real bird expert.
Very lovely pose of this bird, with excellent soft colours, we see the eye this is very important.
Very well composition too.

Greetings from Belgium,
John.

Hello Jan

A lovely shot against a beautiful BG. Details are clear and sharp. Nice catchlight in the eye to bring it to life. Nice work. TFS.

Hello jan,
A very remarkable photo of Cape Bunting.Good sharpness, details and colours.
Good POV too. The bird really stands out from the blurred background.
TFS,
Smitha.

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3065 W: 231 N: 6160] (21048)
  • [2007-05-16 3:12]

That is a gorgeous bird, Jan Hendrik.
I love the warm colors, and those fetching stripes on his face. : )
So many shades of brown on such a little bird.
Classic pose and POV with sharp details and excellent light.
TFS. : )

Hello Jan , excellent shrpnss and comp. details super , TFS.

I know this bird!!!
Nice shot really sharp and detailed, good colors and simply but effective compo.
Andrea

Congrats Jan-Hendrik...
A lot of good images posted today but this one is 'perfect'.
So...no Ballad of Lucy Jordan plethora.
TFS
Annick

  • Great 
  • GLEM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 526 W: 87 N: 697] (6115)
  • [2007-05-16 6:20]

salut Jan,
quand je dis que tu es un as de l'image d'oiseau :)
encore une fois c'est parfait. J'aime perticulièrement la teinte d'ensemble et la position dynamique de l'oiseau.
bravo

gl

perfect pic, TFS Ori

Superb shot of this bunting Jan.
Excellent sharpness and composition
Brilliant plumage detail
Great OOF background
Well done
Chris

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2991 W: 162 N: 949] (2787)
  • [2007-05-16 10:20]

Hello Jan,
A really lovely composition showing this beautiful Cape Bunting in a nice pose. Great focus and very sharp details. The background colour matches the bird perfectly too. Very fine!!
Many thanks, Ulla

  • Great 
  • MMM Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 921 W: 0 N: 1985] (8905)
  • [2007-05-16 12:37]

Hello Jan
Beautiful capture.Extremely sharp image with nice colors.Perfect POv with very nice DOF.
TFS Michel

hi jan!
this is a really great
picture on this very
fine bird!
congrat!

Hi Jan,
A beautiful capture that represents this bird well as I enjoy the side profile very much the details and colors are perfect. :)

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2386 W: 94 N: 5517] (17564)
  • [2007-05-16 16:13]

Hello Jan Hendrik,
The best photo of this Bunting I've ever seen.
Beautiful natural colours. Sharp and a great BG that matches together with the colours of the bird.
Regards,
Peter

  • Great 
  • Debz Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 516 W: 0 N: 846] (3307)
  • [2007-05-17 4:32]

Hi Jan, superb shot of the Cape Bunting. Perfect POV showing good detail and sharpness on the Bunting. Great light and excellent DOF. Good catchlight in the eye. wonderful.
tfs
debz

  • Great 
  • SelenE Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2405 W: 63 N: 4227] (13822)
  • [2007-05-18 8:55]

Hi Jan-Hendrik,
This is a very beautiful bird I've never seen before. Your photo is very good with the focus, colors, POV, composition and details. Very well done and TFS
Selen

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2233 W: 188 N: 1929] (8127)
  • [2007-05-19 8:35]

Hello Jan,
I love this one, all the colors and tones blend so well together. Even though the bird does match the sourounbding colors you let it stand out so perfectly.
POV. colors and sharpness are excellent.
Sky

Hello Jan,
This is a perfect capture of this beautiful specie. These composition, exposure, colors and DOF are just great! This is a very nice specie and I like those tones of colors a lot. Thanks,
Claudine

Very good composition and very good picture of this beautiful bird, the BG is very pleasent.

You managed a very sharp hand held image. 1/1600 sec did the trick. You must have had a lot of light to work with. I love all the toning colors in your image. Nice work.

TFS
Evelynn : )

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