Data Zone
Justification of Red List category
This species has a very large range and the population size is extremely large, hence does not approach threatened thresholds for the range or population size criteria. The population trend is not known, but the population is not believed to be decreasing sufficiently rapidly to approach the thresholds under the population trend criterion. For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern.
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
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This species breeds in open rather dry terrain with scattered trees, shrubs and hedges. It favours low-intensity farmland with cornfields or vineyards or olive groves, but also more natural habitats such as mountain slopes with scrub vegetation. It can occur op to 2,100 m Asl (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997, Copete 2016). The species returns to the breeding grounds in May and starts nesting from mid-May with a peak in June. The nest, built by the female, is placed in shrubs. The clutch, usually four to five eggs, is incubated by the female. The chicks hatch after 13–14 days. The nestling period is 14–16 days. The species leaves the breeding grounds in late June to early August (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997, Copete 2016). During the breeding season they mainly feed on invertebrates and to a lesser extent on seeds and other plant materials. The species is migratory, with most birds wintering in western India (Copete 2016).
The population underwent a strong decline in Europe between 1970 and 1990 (BirdLife International 2004). It is likely that the long-term decline is related to changes in agricultural practices and the removal of hedges and shrubs in parts of its range, heavy pesticide use and changes in land-use: replacement of olive groves by maize fields and cornfields by commercial fruit-growing (Hagemeijer and Blair 1997, Copete 2016).
Conservation Actions Underway
The species is classified as Near Threatened in the Italian Red List Data Book (Peronace 2011).
Conservation Actions Proposed
Maintain crop mosaic farmland in the species's breeding areas (Brambilla 2015). Investigate whether an additional breeding population exists in east and south-east Asia (Copete 2016).
Text account compilers
Martin, R., Rutherford, C.A.
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 23/11/2024.
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 23/11/2024.