Canada, China (mainland), Estonia (B), Finland (B) (P), Iran [Islamic Republic of] (P), Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia (B), Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Norway (B), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B), Russia (European) (B), South Korea, Sweden (B), Taiwan (China).
Vagrant to Afghanistan, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia (Local Name: Hrvatska), Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong (China), Iceland, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands Antilles, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syrian Arab Republic, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, USA.
Population
Estimated population is 40,000,000 - 120,000,000 (2010).
Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) [XC746942]
by Robert Ekman from \u00d6vre F\u00f6ret, Uppsala, Uppsala l\u00e4n, Sweden (flight call)
Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) [XC747425]
by Per Lindquist from S\u00f6nnerstgrundet, Ume\u00e5, V\u00e4sterbottens l\u00e4n, Sweden (call)
Nest
On the ground, usually among moss or grasses.
Eggs (Guide)
4 - 5; pale bluish-white with olive-grey streaks and speckles.
Subspecies
Sometimes placed in a separate genus, Ocyris. Recent phylogenetic study suggests that this species is closely related to Yellow-breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola), Little Bunting (Emberiza pusilla), Chestnut Bunting (Emberiza rutila), Yellow Bunting (Emberiza sulphurata) and Black-faced Bunting (Emberiza spodocephala), all together forming a subclade. Geographical variation of present species weakly defined.
The following 2 subspecies are recognised:
rustica Pallas, 1776 - Breeds in central and northern Fennoscandia east to east-central Siberia (L Baikal). Winters in central and eastern Asia.
latifascia Portenko, 1930 - Breeds in eastern Siberia from L Baikal east to Anadyrland and Kamchatka, south to R Amur mouth and northern Sakhalin I, possibly also in Greater Khingan Mts (north-eastern China). Winters in central and eastern Asia.
The Reader's Digest Book of British Birds 1980, 3rd Edition, Drive Publications Ltd ISBN 0 340 25308 8
Birds in Colour Campbell, B., 1960, Penguin Books Ltd
The Pocket Guide to Nest and Eggs Fitter, R.S.R., 1954, Collins
RSPB Handbook of British Birds Holden, P., Cleeves, T., 2002, A & C Black ISBN 0 7136 5713 8
Birds of Britain and Europe Sterry, P., et al., 2001, AA Publishing ISBN 0 7495 3068 5
The Popular Handbook of British Birds Hollom, P.A.D., 1973, H.F. & G. Witherby Ltd ISBN 0 85493 002 7
BirdLife International Species Factsheet