Chestnut bunting
| Chestnut bunting | |
|---|---|
.jpg) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Emberizidae |
| Genus: | Schoeniclus |
| Species: | S. rutilus |
| Binomial name | |
| Schoeniclus rutilus (Pallas, 1776) | |
The chestnut bunting (Schoeniclus rutilus) is a passerine bird in the Old World bunting family Emberizidae found in the east Palearctic.
This species was formerly placed in the genus Emberiza but in 2026 it was moved to the resurrected genus Schoeniclus based on the results of a 2021 molecular genetic study. Within the genus the chestnut bunting is most closely related to the yellow-breasted bunting (Schoeniclus aureolus).
Description
The chestnut bunting is a fairly small bunting, 14 to 15 cm (5.5 to 5.9 in) in length. The tail is fairly short with little or no white on the outer feathers. Breeding males have bright chestnut-brown upperparts and head. The breast and belly are yellow with streaks on the sides. Non-breeding males are similar but duller with the chestnut partly hidden by pale fringes to the feathers. The female is mostly dull brown with dark streaks above while the underparts are mainly pale yellow. The rump is dull chestnut and the throat is buff.
The variable, high-pitched song is given from a perch low in a tree. The call is a short zick, similar to the call of the little bunting.
Distribution and habitat
It breeds in Siberia, northern Mongolia and north-eastern China. It is a long-distance migrant, wintering in southern China, south-east Asia and north-east India. There are a number of records from Europe but some of these are considered to be escapes from captivity rather than genuine vagrants. During the breeding season it inhabits open forest with plenty of ground cover and shrubs. Wintering and migrating birds occur in farmland, scrub and woodland edges.
References
- ↑ BirdLife International. (2025). "Emberiza rutila". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2025 e.T22720969A280929461. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-2.RLTS.T22720969A280929461.en. Retrieved 6 August 2026.
- ↑ AviList Core Team (20 October 2026). "AviList: The Global Avian Checklist, v2026". doi:10.2173/avilist.v2026. Retrieved 24 October 2026.
- 1 2 Cai, T.; Wu, G.; Sun, L.; Zhang, Y.; Peng, Z.; Guo, Y.; Liu, X.; Pan, T.; Chang, J.; Sun, Z.; Zhang, B. (2021). "Biogeography and diversification of Old World buntings (Aves: Emberizidae): radiation in open habitats". Journal of Avian Biology. 52 (6) jav.02672. doi:10.1111/jav.02672. S2CID 236608560.
- Lee, Woo-Shin, Koo, Tae-Hoe & Park, Jin-Young (2000) A Field Guide to the Birds of Korea, LG Evergreen Foundation, Seoul.
- Lewington, Ian; Alström, Per & Colston, Peter (1991) A Field Guide to the Rare Birds of Britain and Europe, HarperCollins.
- MacKinnon, John & Phillipps, Karen (2000) A Field Guide to the Birds of China, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- Robson, Craig (2002) A Field Guide to the Birds of South-East Asia. New Holland, London.
- Snow, D. W. & Perrins, C. M. (1998) Birds of the Western Palearctic: Concise Edition, Vol. 2, Oxford University Press, Oxford.