Buntings and New World Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Corn Bunting (Emberiza calandra) - HBW 16, p. 509

French: Bruant proyer German: Grauammer Spanish: Escribano Triguero
Other common names: Common Bunting

Taxonomy: Emberiza calandra Linnaeus, 1758, Sweden.
Often separated in monotypic genus Miliaria on account of lack of sexual dimorphism, different moult strategy (the only bunting to have complete post-juvenile moult), and differences in bill structure and tertial pattern; recent molecular studies, however, suggest that genetic differences are so small that placement in monotypic genus not warranted. Geographical variation complicated by local conditions that affect plumage colour tones and intensity of streaking; clanceyi tentatively recognized, as its plumage features seem surprisingly constant. Other named races include thanneri (described from Tenerife, in Canary Is), kleinschmidti (from Malaga, in E Spain), algeriensis (from Bône, in Algeria), graeca (from Calamata, in Greece), volhynica (from Volodymyr-Volynskyi, in NW Ukraine), sarmatia (from Askania-Nova, in Kherson Oblast, in S Ukraine) and ignobilis (from near Tbilisi, in Georgia), all synonymized with nominate. Species may be better treated as monotypic. Three subspecies tentatively recognised.

Subspecies and Distribution:

clanceyi R. Meinertzhagen, 1947 - W Scotland (Hebrides) and W Ireland.
calandra Linnaeus, 1758 - Britain (NE Scotland and parts of England), Denmark, extreme S Sweden and S Latvia S, somewhat patchily, to Iberia and Mediterranean (including most islands), and E to Belarus, Ukraine and S Russia (S to Caucasus region), NW Caspian Sea, Turkey (except SE) and coastal Lebanon and Israel; also N Africa (Morocco E to NW Libya) and Canary Is.
buturlini H. E. Johansen, 1907 - SE Turkey S to N Israel, E across Syria, Iraq and W & N Iran to Turkmenistan and N Afghanistan, also N through Tajikistan, SE Uzbekistan and Kyrgystan to S Kazakhstan and extreme NW China (extreme W Xinjiang).