Tristram's Bunting Emberiza tristrami Scientific name definitions

14–15 cm; 14–21 g. Distinctive, small and compact bunting with striped head. Male is unmistakable, has black head and throat with white central crownstripe, broad white supercilium (tends to be buffish in front of eye) extending a little behind ear-coverts, white spot on upper rear corner of ear-coverts, sharp white submoustachial stripe extending back to side of neck; hindneck and mantle dull buffy brown with diffuse black streaking, becoming rufous-brown to chestnut on lower back, unstreaked rump and uppertail-coverts; tail brown, central feather pair rufous-brown, outer two pairs with some white at edges; median and greater upperwing-coverts with buff to whitish tips (two distinct wingbars), rufous edges of primaries forming patch on folded wing; underparts white, extensive rufous-brown wash with some dark streaking on breast and flanks; iris dark chestnut-brown; bill rather pointed, grey above and at tip, pinkish lower mandible; legs light fleshy-pink with whitish claws. Female is duller than male, less contrasting, with dark parts of head greyish-brown (instead of black), but same pattern of stripes, buff supercilium and ear-coverts, with buffish-white chin and throat, dark malar stripe. In fresh non-breeding plumage in autumn, buffish fringes makes white parts buffier and black parts browner, and partly concealing dark colour of throat. Juvenile resembles female, but somewhat duller; first-winter male similar to male non-breeding, but lores and ear-coverts noticeably browner with contrasting dark border, iris dark grey-brown; first-winter female generally very similar to non-breeding female, but crownstripe, supercilium and submoustachial stripe more buffish.

NE China (from Lesser Khingan Mts and R Zeja, in Heilongjiang) E to SE Russian Far East (Amurland and Ussuri regions, including Sikhote Alin Mts) and N Korea. Winters in SE China (SE Yunnan E to Fujian, also Hunan and E Sichuan); rare winter visitor also N Myanmar, NW Thailand and N Laos and N Vietnam (Tonkin).

Diet consists of both vegetable and animal matter. During migration recorded as taking beetles (Coleoptera), flies (Diptera) and other insects, as well as seeds. Forages on ground . In small flocks outside breeding season.

Song, from inconspicuous perch in tree, a high-pitched unit followed by a drawn-out one, one or two units given 1–4 times in rapid succession, often with final “chit”, one such phrase could be “hsiee swee-swee swee-tsirririri”; rather similar to song of E. chrysophrys. Call an explosive “tzick”, irregularly repeated.

Laying at end of May or beginning of Jun; two broods in a season. Nest made from dry grass blades , often lined with horsehair, built near ground, often among grasses or on lower branches of bush; in one study, important factor for nest-site selection was presence of herbs and bushes, with 80% of nests built in false spiraea (Sorbaria sorbifolia); second nests found 50–120 m from first ones. Clutch 4–5 eggs, pinkish with greenish tinge, marked with sparse blackish patches and streaks; incubation entirely by female, period 12–14 days; no information on nestling period; starts to build nest for second brood 1–1·5 weeks after fledging of first brood. Average success 3·7 fledglings.

Not globally threatened (Least Concern). Common to fairly common locally in appropriate habitat over most of its breeding range; little evidence of any marked decreases in recent decades. Local study in Ussuriland (Kedrovaya Pad Reserve) revealed 18 pairs/km² as highest breeding density, in riparian mixed forest.