The grey bunting is a species of bird in the family Emberizidae.
Region
Northeast Asia
Typical Environment
Breeds in northern Japan (notably Hokkaido and northern Honshu) and extends to adjacent parts of the Russian Far East such as Sakhalin and the southern Kuril Islands. In the non-breeding season it shifts south to milder areas including southern Japan, Taiwan, and parts of eastern China. It favors dense understory in temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, especially thickets of bamboo or shrubs near streams. During migration and winter it also uses forest edges, wooded ravines, and overgrown clearings. It is typically local and unobtrusive wherever it occurs.
Altitude Range
0–1500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
A secretive forest bunting, the grey bunting often stays low in dense undergrowth, making it easier to hear than see. Males are strikingly slaty-gray, while females are brown and streaked, a strong sexual dimorphism that aids camouflage on the nest. It breeds in cool, wooded habitats and moves southward in winter, when it may join loose mixed flocks. Its short, conical bill is well adapted for cracking seeds but it switches to more insects during the breeding season.
Temperament
solitary and secretive
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats with low, direct dashes between cover
Social Behavior
Pairs form on the breeding grounds, where males sing from hidden perches within thickets. Nests are placed low in dense vegetation or on the ground, and both adults attend the young. Outside the breeding season it may join small loose groups and occasionally associates with other seed-eating passerines.
Migratory Pattern
Partial migrant
Song Description
Song is a short, clear series of sweet, whistled phrases delivered from inside cover. Calls include a thin metallic tik and soft tseep notes used to maintain contact in dense vegetation.
Plumage
Male is largely slaty-gray with darker face and contrasting brown wings edged pale; female and immature are warm brown with fine streaking and paler underparts. Both sexes show pale wingbars and white outer tail feathers that flash in flight. The overall texture is smooth with neat, crisp feather edges, especially on the wings.
Diet
Eats a mix of grass and weed seeds, small berries, and seasonally abundant insects. During breeding it increases intake of invertebrates such as beetles, caterpillars, and spiders to fuel reproduction and feed nestlings. In winter it relies more on seeds and fallen grain where available.
Preferred Environment
Forages low in dense understory, along forest floors, and in bamboo or shrub thickets, often near streams or clearings. It picks items from the ground and lower foliage and will scratch through leaf litter to uncover seeds and invertebrates.
