Masked Bunting
Emberiza personata
LCLeast Concern
- Family
- Old World Buntings (Emberizidae)
- Order
- Passeriformes
Overview
The masked bunting (Emberiza personata) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is found in Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and Japan.
The masked bunting was formerly considered as a subspecies of the black-faced bunting (Emberiza spodocephala) but is now treated as a separate species based on morphological and genetic differences. The species is monotypic: no subspecies are recognised.
Summary from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Range and habitat
Breeds Sakhalin and southern Kuril Islands to Honshu; winters Honshu to Ryukyu Islands (southern Japan).
Range description: AviList Global Avian Checklist.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Masked bunting
- eBird: sightings, maps and photos
- xeno-canto: sound recordings
- Birds of the World: full species account (subscription)
- BirdLife DataZone: status and threats
- IUCN Red List (threat status)
- AviList global checklist (taxonomy)
Last updated September 29, 2026.
