Photo: Materialscientist (talk) / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Black-faced Bunting
Emberiza spodocephala
Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 20 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 18.4 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 spodocephala
Where it lives
Temperate north-central, northeastern, central Palearctic shrubby areas in woodland: south-central Russia and northern Mongolia east to Sea of Okhotsk and northern Sakhalin (southeastern Russia) and south to northeastern Inner Mongolia, northern Heilongjiang (northeastern China) and northern, central Korean Pen.; disjunctly Qinghai and Shaanxi south to Yunnan and Guizhou (central China)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.4 g
- Diet
- Invertebrate-eaters
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Black-faced Bunting is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open scrub and shrubland, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Black-faced Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) is a member of the Emberizidae family, within the order Passeriformes. It is found across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL temperate nc, ne, c Palearctic shrubby areas in woodland: sc Russia and n Mongolia e to Sea of Okhotsk and n Sakhalin (se Russia) and s to ne Inner Mongolia, n Heilongjiang (ne China) and n, c Korean Pen.; disjunctly Qinghai and Shaanxi s to Yunnan and Guizhou (c China).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.4 g, with a wing length of about 7 cm and a tail of around 6.2 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 4.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Black-faced Bunting?
The Black-faced Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 18.4 g.
Where does the Black-faced Bunting live?
The Black-faced Bunting is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL temperate nc, ne, c Palearctic shrubby areas in woodland: sc Russia and n Mongolia e to Sea of Okhotsk and n Sakhalin (se Russia) and s to ne Inner Mongolia, n Heilongjiang (ne China) and n, c Korean Pen.; disjunctly Qinghai and Shaanxi s to Yunnan and Guizhou (c China), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Black-faced Bunting belong to?
The Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Black-faced Bunting eat?
The Black-faced Bunting is a invertivore — it feeds mainly on invertebrates such as insects and other small prey.
Does the Black-faced Bunting migrate?
The Black-faced Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Black-faced 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 Black-faced Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Black-faced Bunting — including its song — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Black-faced Bunting's range?
The Black-faced Bunting has a mapped global range of about 4.9 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
Explore more birds
More in Emberizidae
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
More in Songbirds
Least Concern
Not Evaluated
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Vulnerable
Guides for this bird
Best Bird Feeders for Garden Songbirds
How to choose a bird feeder for garden songbirds — the feeder styles compared, the seed they prefer, where to hang it, and how to keep birds safe. A decision framework grounded in real data, with no mystery picks.