In the first morning light, I captured this Cape bunting against a dramatic, unlit background. The Cape bunting is an almost endemic species for southern Africa, but strangely enough it is absent in almost all of Botswana. The sexes are undistinguishable, with the same characteristic zebra pattern on the head that is present also in the Golden-breasted bunting (Emberiza flaviventris), with a yellow breast, and the Cinnamon-breasted bunting (Emberiza tahapisi) with a brown breast, two closely related species that are also found in southern Africa. Unlike many other sparrows, the Cape bunting usually appears alone or in pairs.