The House Bunting, Emberiza sahari, is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae.
It is a resident breeder of dry country from northwestern Africa from Morocco south to Mali and east to Chad. The House Bunting breeds around human habitation, laying 2–4 eggs in a nest in a hole in a wall or building. Its natural food consists of insects when feeding young, and otherwise seeds.
It is 14cm long, similar in size to the Striolated Bunting and smaller than the Rock Bunting. The breeding male has a sandy orange-brown body and a grey head slightly dark-streaked but without the white supercilium that the Striolated Bunting has. The female's head has a brown tint to the grey, and more diffused streaking.
The House Bunting has recently been split from the closely related Striolated Bunting, of which it used to be treated as a subspecies, Emberiza striolata sahari. The Striolated Bunting has stronger facial striping and a paler belly than the House Bunting.
The incubation period of the clutch of 3 eggs is noted as 12–14 days.
The song, given from a perch, is similar to, but weaker than, that of the Common Chaffinch.
In Morocco, the species is traditionally regarded as sacred, and has become very tame, freely entering and feeding inside houses, shops and mosques.
Famous quotes containing the words house and/or bunting:
“I remember, I remember,
The house where I was born,
The little window where the sun
Came peeping in at morn.”
—Thomas Hood (1799–1845)
“Revolution? Unscrew the flag-staff, wrap the bunting in the oil covers, and put the thing in the clothes-chest. Let the old lady bring you your house-slippers and untie your fiery red necktie. You always make revolutions with your mugs, your republic—nothing but an industrial accident.”
—Alfred Döblin (1878–1957)