Photo: Jargal Lamjav from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia / CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Pine Bunting
Emberiza leucocephalos
Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 18 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 28.5 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 leucocephalos
Where it lives
Temperate central, eastern Palearctic forest edge, openings: west-central Russia from Ural Mts. east to Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin and Kuril Is. (southeastern Russia), south through north-central, northeastern Kazakhstan, eastern Kyrgyzstan and northwestern Xinjiang (northwestern China), northern, central Mongolia and northeastern China; disjunctly in northeastern Qinghai and southern Gansu (north-central China)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 28.5 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Woodland
How to identify
Similar birds
Least Concern
Least Concern
Least Concern
Near Threatened
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Pine Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of semi-open forest, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Pine Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
The Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos) is a member of the Emberizidae family, within the order Passeriformes. Its range spans Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL temperate c, e Palearctic forest edge, openings: wc Russia from Ural Mts. e to Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin and Kuril Is. (se Russia), s through nc, ne Kazakhstan, e Kyrgyzstan and nw Xinjiang (nw China), n, c Mongolia and ne China; disjunctly in ne Qinghai and s Gansu (nc China).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 28.5 g, with a wing length of about 9.2 cm and a tail of around 7.8 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
The species has a mapped global range of roughly 9.9 million km².
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Pine Bunting?
The Pine Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 28.5 g.
Where does the Pine Bunting live?
The Pine Bunting is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL temperate c, e Palearctic forest edge, openings: wc Russia from Ural Mts. e to Sea of Okhotsk, Sakhalin and Kuril Is. (se Russia), s through nc, ne Kazakhstan, e Kyrgyzstan and nw Xinjiang (nw China), n, c Mongolia and ne China; disjunctly in ne Qinghai and s Gansu (nc China), where it favours woodland, forest and well-treed country.
What family does the Pine Bunting belong to?
The Pine Bunting (Emberiza leucocephalos) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Pine Bunting eat?
The Pine Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Pine Bunting migrate?
The Pine Bunting is migratory, making regular seasonal journeys between its breeding and non-breeding ranges.
Is the Pine 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 Pine Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Pine 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 Pine Bunting's range?
The Pine Bunting has a mapped global range of about 9.9 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.
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