Emberiza cioides J.F.Brandt, 1843

Common Name and Size

Emberiza cioides, commonly known as the meadow bunting, measures 15 to 16.5 centimeters in length.

Male Plumage Body

Males are predominantly rufous-brown with dark streaks along their backs.

Male Head Pattern

Their heads have a bold pattern: they are brown, with white eyebrows, a white moustachial stripe, and a white throat, plus grey coloring on the sides of the neck.

Shared Physical Traits

The species has white outer tail feathers and pinkish-brown legs.

Female Plumage

Females have a similar overall appearance, but their plumage is duller and paler, and their head pattern is less clearly defined.

Song

The meadow bunting’s song is a short, hurried phrase delivered from a prominent exposed perch.

Call

Its call is a sequence of up to four sharp notes.

Breeding Range

This species breeds across southern Siberia, northern and eastern China, eastern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Korea, and Japan.

Migration Pattern

It is largely non-migratory, though birds breeding in northern parts of its range move south as far as southern China and Taiwan.

European Occurrence

There have been multiple records of the species in Europe, but most of these sightings are believed to involve birds that escaped from captivity, rather than wild genuine vagrants.

Habitat

Meadow buntings live in dry, open habitats including scrub, farmland, grassland, and open woodland.

Nest Placement

They build their nests low in bushes or directly on the ground.

Egg Laying and Incubation

Females lay three to five eggs per clutch, which are incubated for 11 days.

Fledging Period

After hatching, young meadow buntings fledge 11 days later.

Breeding Behavior

Breeding pairs are monogamous, and they will reuse the same breeding territory for multiple consecutive years.