Masked Bunting

Fascinating facts about the Masked Bunting

• A recent genetic study split the masked bunting from its close relative, the black-faced bunting, giving it full species status based on clear DNA and shape differences.
• You won’t find regional varieties of this bird – the masked bunting is monotypic, meaning all individuals belong to the same single form.
• Its range is limited to the islands of Sakhalin, the Kurils, and Japan.

About the Masked Bunting

The masked bunting (Emberiza personata) is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae. It is found in Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands, and Japan. It was formerly considered 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, with no subspecies recognised.

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