Photo: Alpsdake / CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Grey Bunting
Emberiza variabilis
Grey Bunting (Emberiza variabilis) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 5 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Grey Bunting (Emberiza variabilis) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 23.8 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Emberizidae Buntings
- Genus Emberiza
- Species variabilis
Where it lives
Temperate far northeastern Palearctic forest: southern Kamchatka, Kuril Is. and Sakhalin (eastern Russia) to Japan
Quick facts
- Weight
- 23.8 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
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Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Grey Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of dense scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Grey Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Grey Bunting (Emberiza variabilis) belongs to the Emberizidae family of the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL temperate far ne Palearctic forest: s Kamchatka, Kuril Is. and Sakhalin (e Russia) to Japan.
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 23.8 g, with a wing length of about 8.4 cm and a tail of around 6.6 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 222,000 km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Grey Bunting?
The Grey Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 23.8 g.
Where does the Grey Bunting live?
The Grey Bunting is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL temperate far ne Palearctic forest: s Kamchatka, Kuril Is. and Sakhalin (e Russia) to Japan, where it is typically found in wooded and forested habitats.
What family does the Grey Bunting belong to?
The Grey Bunting (Emberiza variabilis) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Grey Bunting eat?
The Grey Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Grey Bunting migrate?
The Grey Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Grey Bunting endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Grey Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Grey Bunting can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Grey Bunting's range?
The Grey Bunting has a mapped global range of about 222,000 km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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