Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence <20,000 km2 combined with a declining or fluctuating range size, habitat extent/quality, or population size and a small number of locations or severe fragmentation). The population trend appears to be stable, and hence the species does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population trend criterion (>30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size has not been quantified, but it is not believed to approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (<10,000 mature individuals with a continuing decline estimated to be >10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
Population justification
The global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as common in moist shrubby undergrowth (Byers et al. 1995), while national population estimates include: c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in China; c.50-10,000 wintering individuals in Taiwan; c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in Korea; c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs and c.1,000-10,000 wintering individuals in Japan and c.10,000-100,000 breeding pairs in Russia (Brazil 2009).
Trend justification
The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.
Emberiza spodocephala is found from central Siberia (Novokuznetsk and Krasnoyarsk) east to the south coast of Sea of Okhotsk, N Sakhalin Island and Sea of Japan coast, south to Sayan Mts, Altai, N Mongolia (Khentii Mts), Transbaikalia, northern, eastern and central China (Heilongjiang), southeast Russia (Ussuriland) and North Korea, migrating to winter in central Nepal east to northeast India, northern Myanmar, southern and eastern China (south to Yunnan and Hainan east to Fujian) and Taiwan.
Text account compilers
Butchart, S., Derhé, M. & Ekstrom, J.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-faced Bunting Emberiza spodocephala. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-faced-bunting-emberiza-spodocephala on 23/12/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/12/2024.