China (mainland) (B), Japan, Kazakhstan (B), Kyrgyzstan (B) (NB), North Korea (B), Russia (Asian) (B), Russia (Central Asian) (B) (NB), South Korea (B).
Vagrant to Hong Kong (China).
Population
Estimated population is unknown (2010).
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) [XC655614]
by Common Jeff\uff08\u9ebb\u6770\u592b\uff09 from Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea (song)
Meadow Bunting (Emberiza cioides) [XC172704]
by Mike Nelson from Below Mt Shiroyama, Takao, Tokyo, Japan (song)
Young
Fledge in about 11 days.
Subspecies
Japanese subspecies ciopsis differs quite strongly from others both in head colour and in vocalizations, and could be worthy of species status. Further study is needed. Geographical variation somewhat clinal, involving size and colour saturation.
Other proposed subspecies include shiretokoensis (described from eastern Hokkaido, in northern Japan), synonymized with ciopsis. In south-eastern Russia, ussuriensis (from Ussuri) and vagans (from mouth of Sidemi, in Amur Bay and mid-Ussuri), both subsumed in weigoldi. In China, tangutorum (from near Xining, in western Qinghai), treated as synonym of nominate.
The following 5 subspecies are recognised:
tarbagataica Sushkin, 1925 - North-western China from south-western Altai south to central and eastern Tien Shan (in northern Xinjiang).
cioides Brandt, 1843 - South-central Siberia from eastern Altai east to Mongolia and adjacent Transbaikalia (Buryatia) in east-central Russia.
weigoldi Jacobi, A, 1923 - East of Transbaikalia in south-eastern Russia (Amurland and Ussuriland), south to north-eastern China (south to Hebei) and northern Korea.
castaneiceps Moore, F, 1856 - Eastern China (south of Hebei) and southern Korea.
ciopsis Bonaparte, 1850 - Southern Sakhalin I and Kuril Is south through Japanese islands to Yakushima (south of Kyushu).
BirdLife International Species Factsheet