Buntings and New World Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla) - HBW 16, p. 524

French: Bruant nain German: Zwergammer Spanish: Escribano Pigmeo

Taxonomy: Emberiza pusilla 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. rustica, E. aureola, E. rutila, E. sulphurata and E. spodocephala, 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. Monotypic.

Distribution: Breeds from NE Norway, N Sweden, NE Finland and N Russia E across Siberia and Russian Far East (N to mouth of Ob and Gydan Peninsula, to c. 75° on R Yenisey, and mouths of Indigirka, Kolyma and Anadyr) to Pacific, S to c. 60° N in W and to middle R Yenisey, N of L Baikal, S Yakutia and near R Arka on Okhotsk Sea coast. Winters in region from N Indian Subcontinent E to N & C Myanmar, N Thailand, N Indochina and S China (S of R Yangtze).