LC
Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala



Taxonomy

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
Cramp, S. and Simmons, K.E.L. (eds). 1977-1994. Handbook of the birds of Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The birds of the western Palearctic. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

IUCN Red List criteria met and history
Red List criteria met
Critically Endangered Endangered Vulnerable
- - -

Red List history
Year Category Criteria
2024 Least Concern
2016 Least Concern
2014 Least Concern
2012 Least Concern
2009 Least Concern
2008 Least Concern
2004 Least Concern
2000 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1994 Lower Risk/Least Concern
1988 Lower Risk/Least Concern
Species attributes

Migratory status full migrant Forest dependency does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type Average mass -
Range

Estimate Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident) 6,120,000 km2
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding) 723,000 km2
Severely fragmented? no -
Population
Estimate Data quality Derivation Year of estimate
Population size 7600000-27500000 mature individuals poor estimated 2018
Population trend unknown - - -
Generation length 2.91 years - - -

Population justification: In Europe, the total population size is estimated at 4,940,000-17,900,000 mature individuals, with 2,470,000-8,940,000 breeding pairs (BirdLife International 2021), and comprises approximately 65% of the species' global range, so a very preliminary estimate of the global population size is between 7,600,000-27,500,000 mature individuals, although further validation of this estimate is desirable. Europe holds over half of the species' global range, but despite the data collated the population trend there is unknown (BirdLife International 2021). As no other data are available to derive trends, the global population trend for this species is unknown.

Trend justification:    .


Country/territory distribution
Country/Territory Presence Origin Resident Breeding visitor Non-breeding visitor Passage migrant
Afghanistan extant vagrant
Albania extant native yes
Algeria extant vagrant
Armenia extant native yes
Austria extant vagrant
Azerbaijan extant native yes
Bahrain extant native yes
Bosnia and Herzegovina extant native yes
Brunei extant vagrant
Bulgaria extant native yes
China (mainland) extant vagrant
Croatia extant native yes
Cyprus extant native yes
Czechia extant vagrant
Denmark extant vagrant
Egypt extant native
Faroe Islands (to Denmark) extant vagrant
Finland extant vagrant
France extant vagrant
Georgia extant native yes
Germany extant vagrant
Greece extant native yes yes
Hong Kong (China) extant vagrant
Iceland extant vagrant
Iran, Islamic Republic of extant native yes yes
Iraq extant native yes
Ireland extant vagrant
Israel extant native yes
Italy extant native yes
Japan extant vagrant
Jordan extant native yes yes
Kazakhstan extant native yes
Kuwait extant native yes
Laos extant vagrant
Latvia extant vagrant
Lebanon extant native yes yes
Libya extant vagrant
Malaysia extant vagrant
Malta extant vagrant
Montenegro extant native yes
Morocco extant vagrant
Nepal extant native
Netherlands extant vagrant
North Macedonia extant native yes
Norway extant vagrant
Oman extant native yes
Palau extant vagrant
Palestine extant native yes yes
Poland extant vagrant
Qatar extant native yes
Romania extant native yes
Russia extant native yes
Russia (European) extant native yes
Saudi Arabia extant native yes
Serbia extant native yes
Slovakia extant vagrant
Slovenia extant native yes
South Korea extant vagrant
Spain extant vagrant
Sri Lanka extant vagrant yes
Sweden extant vagrant
Switzerland extant vagrant
Syria extant native yes yes
Thailand extant vagrant
Tunisia extant vagrant
Türkiye extant native yes
Ukraine extant native yes
United Arab Emirates extant native yes
United Kingdom extant native yes

Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA)
Country/Territory IBA Name
Armenia Amasia
Bulgaria Arda Bridge
Bulgaria Byala Reka
Bulgaria Dobrostan
Bulgaria Krumovitza
Bulgaria Melnik Pyramids
Bulgaria Studen Kladenets
Cyprus Adelphoi Forest - Papoutsa
Cyprus Akamas and Agia Aikaterini – Agia Paraskevi Gorges
Cyprus Karpasia Peninsula - Kleides Islands
Cyprus Mahairas Forest - Tzionia
Cyprus Pentadaktylos Mountains
Cyprus Xylourikos Valley
Greece Acherontas gorge and estuary
Greece Akarnanika mountains
Greece Dadia - Dereio - Aisymi forest
Greece Lake Dystos
Greece Mount Mavrovouni, Larisa
Greece Mount Olympos and pine forest of central Lesvos
Greece Mount Ymittos
Greece National Park of Dadia - Lefkimi - Soufli forest
Greece South forest complex of Evros prefecture
Greece Southwestern Lesvos and Petrified forest
Greece Thessaly plain
Greece Zakynthos island
Iraq Amedi and Sulav
Iraq Bakhma and Bradost Mountain
Iraq Barzan Area and Gali Balnda
Iraq Benavi and Sararu
Iraq Chami Razan
Iraq Doli Smaquli and Ashab
Iraq Gara Mountain and Garagu
Iraq Hawraman Area
Iraq Mangesh
Iraq Peramagroon Mountain
Iraq Qara Dagh
Italy Argentario, Laguna di Orbetello Lagoon e Lago di Burano
Italy Lake Bracciano and Tolfa hills
Lebanon Shouf Cedars Nature Reserve
North Macedonia Demir Kapija Gorge
North Macedonia Gradsko-Rosoman-Negotino
North Macedonia Lake Tikvesh
North Macedonia Mariovo
North Macedonia River Pchinja-river Petroshnica-river Kriva Reka
North Macedonia River Topolka-river Babuna-river Bregalnica
North Macedonia Taor Gorge
North Macedonia Tikvesh Region
Serbia Dobric-Nisava
Serbia Presevo valley - Rujen
Serbia Timocko pobrdje
Syria Jabal Slenfeh
Syria Mount Hermon

Habitats & altitude
Habitat (level 1) Habitat (level 2) Importance Occurrence
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Arable Land suitable breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Pastureland suitable breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Plantations suitable non-breeding
Artificial/Terrestrial Plantations suitable breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable breeding
Grassland Temperate suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Mediterranean-type Shrubby Vegetation suitable breeding
Shrubland Temperate suitable non-breeding
Shrubland Temperate suitable breeding
Altitude 0 - 2450 m Occasional altitudinal limits  

Utilisation
Purpose Scale
Food - human subsistence, national
Pets/display animals, horticulture international

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/black-headed-bunting-emberiza-melanocephala 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.