The next common and widespread bunting to go? Global population decline in the Rustic BuntingEmberiza rustica

Abstract

SummaryPopulations of several long-distance migratory songbirds in Eurasia are in peril, drastically illustrated by the recent range-wide population collapse in the Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola. There are signals of a strong decline also in the Rustic Bunting E. rustica, but no range-wide assessment of population trends in this superabundant and widespread bunting species has yet been undertaken. The conservation status of Rustic Bunting is ‘Least Concern’ on the global IUCN Red List, but it has recently been upgraded to ‘Vulnerable’ on the European Red List. To assess the Rustic Bunting’s global conservation status we compiled, for the first time, population data across its breeding and wintering ranges. The analysis reveals a 75–87% decline in overall population size over the last 30 years and a 32–91% decline over the last 10 years. The trend estimates indicate that the long-term (30-year) range-wide population decline in the Rustic Bunting is of similar magnitude to two well-known examples of declining species within the same genus, the Yellow-breasted Bunting and the Ortolan Bunting E. hortulana. The magnitude of the range-wide population decline over the last 10 years suggests that the Rustic Bunting could be upgraded from ‘Least Concern’ to ‘Vulnerable’ or ‘Endangered’ on the IUCN global Red List. Agricultural intensification in the wintering range and intensified levels of disturbance, including logging and fire, in the breeding range could be important drivers of the range-wide population decline, and persecution could also contribute. Untangling threat factors and their interactions on Rustic Bunting is necessary for conservation, but hampered by our currently limited understanding of the relationships between population dynamics and different threats.

Long‐term declines of European insectivorous bird populations and potential causes

“…Some of these species, such as the Rustic Bunting ( Emberiza rustica ), the only long‐distance migratory seedeater in the data set (Edenius et al. ), and the Nutcracker ( Nucifraga caryocatactes ), a pine nut specialist (del Hoyo et al. ), are probably declining for rather species‐specific reasons.…”

“…Seedeaters were most consistently declining among forest species. Some of these species, such as the Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica), the only longdistance migratory seedeater in the data set (Edenius et al 2017), and the Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes), a pine nut specialist (del Hoyo et al 2014), are probably declining for rather species-specific reasons. Several seedeating farmland species were also declining, including the Yellowhammer (Emberiza citronella).…”

Migration phenology determines niche use of East Asian buntings (Emberizidae) during stopover

“…The group of buntings (Emberizidae) has currently gained global conservation interest caused by catastrophic declines of several species of the genus Emberiza in Europe and Asia ( Menz and Arlettaz 2012 ; Kamp et al. 2015 ; Edenius et al. 2017 ).…”

Challenges and opportunities for transboundary conservation of migratory birds in the East Asian‐Australasian flyway

“…The dramatic decline of the Rustic (Emberiza rustica) and Yellow-breasted buntings (Emberiza aureola) (Fig. 1d) provides classic examples of how unsustainable trapping for food and religious releases in Southeast Asia and southern China can affect even widespread and common migratory species (Gilbert et al 2012;Kamp et al 2015;Edenius et al 2017).…”