First Rustic Bunting for Algeria and Northwest Africa

The Rustic Bunting (Emberiza rustica) breeds from Scandinavia eastwards across Eurasia. It winters in eastern China and Japan. The species is in great trouble as its global population size has declined by a 75–87% over a period of 30 years (see: Edenius et al. 2017. The next common and widespread bunting to go? Global population decline in the Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica. Bird Conservation International 27: 35-44). The species is currently listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List.

On 2 November 2013, a Rustic Bunting was photographed in Annaba, northern Algeria. This is the first record of the species for the country and for Northwest Africa, and only the second for Africa. The first African record of the species was a specimen collected in Bahig, southwest of Alexandria, Egypt, on 20 October 1971.

This observation was published in the latest issue of the Bulletin of the African Bird Club:

Djemadi, I., Draidi, K. & Bouslama, Z. 2018. First record of Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica for Algeria. Bull. ABC 25: 211-212.

Première mention du Bruant rustique pour l’Algérie et le Maghreb

Le 2 novembre 2013, un Bruant rustique a été photographié à Annaba, au nord de l’Algérie. Ceci constitue la première donnée pour le pays et seulement la deuxième pour l’Afrique, après un spécimen collecté à Bahig, au sud-ouest d’Alexandrie, Égypte, le 20 octobre 1971.

Thanks to Imed Djemadi for sharing!