Buntings and New World Sparrows (Emberizidae)

Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) - HBW 16, p. 525

French: Bruant rustique German: Waldammer Spanish: Escribano Rústico

Taxonomy: Emberiza rustica Pallas, 1776, Dauria = Transbaikalia.
Sometimes placed in a separate genus, Ocyris. Recent phylogenetic study suggests that this species is closely related to E. aureola, E. pusilla, E. rutila, E. sulphurata and E. spodocephala, all together forming a subclade. Geographical variation of present species weakly defined; sometimes treated as monotypic. Two subspecies currently recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution:

rustica Pallas, 1776 - breeds in C & N Fennoscandia E to EC Siberia (L Baikal); winters in C & E Asia.
latifascia Portenko, 1930 - breeds in E Siberia from L Baikal E to Anadyrland and Kamchatka, S to R Amur mouth and N Sakhalin I, possibly also in Greater Khingan Mts (NE China); winters in C & E Asia.