Buntings and New World Sparrows (Emberizidae)
Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala)
French: Bruant masqué
German: Maskenammer
Spanish: Escribano Enmascarado
Other common names: Grey-headed Black-faced Bunting; Masked Bunting (personata)
Taxonomy: Emberiza spodocephala Pallas, 1776, Daurian Range, southern Chita, south-eastern Siberia, Russia.
Sometimes placed in a separate genus, Ocyris. Recent phylogenetic study suggests that this species is closely related to E. pusilla, E. rustica, E. aureola, E. rutila and E. sulphurata, forming a subclade with them; it has been suggested that they form a polytomous group of species, probably the result of a rapid, “simultaneous” radiation. Distinctive race personata possibly represents a separate species; further study required. Nominate race exhibits slight clinal variation in colour, with increasing green on crown, nape and throat and more.. View all taxonomy...
Taxonomy: Emberiza spodocephala Pallas, 1776, Daurian Range, southern Chita, south-eastern Siberia, Russia.
Sometimes placed in a separate genus, Ocyris. Recent phylogenetic study suggests that this species is closely related to E. pusilla, E. rustica, E. aureola, E. rutila and E. sulphurata, forming a subclade with them; it has been suggested that they form a polytomous group of species, probably the result of a rapid, “simultaneous” radiation. Distinctive race personata possibly represents a separate species; further study required. Nominate race exhibits slight clinal variation in colour, with increasing green on crown, nape and throat and more yellowish underparts from W to E, but individual variation also significant, and populations at extremes of cline not well differentiated; proposed races oligoxantha (described from Kuznetsk region of SC Siberia) and extremiorientis (from S Ussuriland) represent respective ends of this cline. Three subspecies recognized.
Sometimes placed in a separate genus, Ocyris. Recent phylogenetic study suggests that this species is closely related to E. pusilla, E. rustica, E. aureola, E. rutila and E. sulphurata, forming a subclade with them; it has been suggested that they form a polytomous group of species, probably the result of a rapid, “simultaneous” radiation. Distinctive race personata possibly represents a separate species; further study required. Nominate race exhibits slight clinal variation in colour, with increasing green on crown, nape and throat and more yellowish underparts from W to E, but individual variation also significant, and populations at extremes of cline not well differentiated; proposed races oligoxantha (described from Kuznetsk region of SC Siberia) and extremiorientis (from S Ussuriland) represent respective ends of this cline. Three subspecies recognized.
Subspecies and Distribution:
- spodocephala Pallas, 1776 - breeds from C Siberia (Novokuznetsk and Krasnoyarsk) E to S coast of Sea of Okhotsk, N Sakhalin I and Sea of Japan coast, S to Sayan Mts, Altai, N Mongolia (Khentii Mts), Transbaikalia, NE China (Heilongjiang), SE Russia (Ussuriland) and N Korea; winters in S & E China (S Yunnan and Hainan E to Fujian) and Taiwan.
- personata Temminck, 1836 - breeds S Sakhalin I, Kuril Is and Japan (Hokkaido S to C Honshu); winters from N Honshu S through Shikoku and Kyushu to Ryukyu Is and Izu Is.
- sordida Blyth, 1845 - breeds EC China from N Gansu and NE Qinghai S to W Sichuan and N Yunnan (S to Yangtze Valley), E to N Hubei, and occasionally in C Guizhou and W Hunan; winters in area from C Nepal E to NE India, N Myanmar and N Indochina.
- Least Concern Enlarge map
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feeding reed's seed Locality Yilan County, Taiwan
Vicky Cheng 20 January 2012 1 year ago 44 sec 4.5 -
A male on a branch, calling and then flying away. Locality Olga Bay, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp spodocephala)
Josep del Hoyo 21 June 2009 3 years ago 16 sec 4.2 -
A female taking a bath. Locality Huatan Township, Changhua County, Taiwan
James Jyh Haw Ting 29 January 2009 4 years ago 20 sec 4 -
A male in a tree, carrying food. Locality Tigrinka River, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp spodocephala )
Josep del Hoyo 16 June 2009 3 years ago 34 sec 3.7 -
Female feeding off of ground. Locality Kabutoyama Forest Park, Hyogo Prefecture, Honshu, Japan
Charles McHugh 26 January 2009 4 years ago 22 sec 3.7 -
Bird in small bush Locality Chiba Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (ssp personata)
Desmond Allen 10 February 2007 22 weeks ago 10 sec 3.5 -
A female perched calling and then a brief view of a male perched. Locality Maioka Park, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (ssp personata)
Josep del Hoyo 23 January 2010 2 years ago 32 sec 3.5 -
A male on a branch, changing its position. Locality Razdolnaya River Estuary, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp spodocephala)
Josep del Hoyo 4 June 2009 3 years ago 41 sec 3.5 -
A lateral and, then, a dorsal view of a male perched. Locality Happy Island, Hebei, China (Northern) (ssp spodocephala)
Eldert Groenewoud 4 May 2008 4 years ago 34 sec 3.5 -
A female foraging on the grass. Locality Narita, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (ssp personata)
Josep del Hoyo 22 January 2010 2 years ago 19 sec 3.3 -
A male on a branch, carrying food. Locality Dalnerechensk, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp spodocephala)
Josep del Hoyo 15 June 2009 3 years ago 9 sec 3.3 -
A female in a reed bed. Locality Dalnerechensk, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp spodocephala)
Josep del Hoyo 15 June 2009 3 years ago 28 sec 3.3 -
Male bird feeding off of ground. Locality Kabutoyama Forest Park, Hyogo Prefecture, Honshu, Japan
Charles McHugh 26 January 2009 4 years ago 22 sec 3.3 -
A singing male of personata race sometimes treated as separate species - Masked Bunting Locality Sakhalin Island, Sakhalin Oblast, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp personata)
Greg Baker 19 June 2009 2 years ago 25 sec 3.2 -
A male singing from a tree top. Locality Razdolnaya River Estuary, Primorsky Krai, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp spodocephala)
Josep del Hoyo 4 June 2009 3 years ago 51 sec 3 -
male perched in scrub, scratches with foot, calls, flies off Locality Chong Ming Island, Shanghai, China (Northern) (ssp sordida)
Martin Kennewell 19 April 2009 3 years ago 19 sec 3 -
A female foraging on the ground and then a brief view of a male (50% speed). Locality Narita, Chiba Prefecture, Honshu, Japan (ssp personata)
Josep del Hoyo 22 January 2010 2 years ago 25 sec 2.5 -
A male looking for food on the ground. Locality Beidaihe, Hebei, China (Northern) (ssp spodocephala)
Eldert Groenewoud 1 May 2008 4 years ago 13 sec 2.5 -
Male singing then flying away Locality Kuril Islands, Sakhalin Oblast, Eastern Russia, Russia (ssp personata)
Greg Baker 15 June 2009 3 years ago 11 sec 2
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