Buntings are a group of Eurasian and African passerine birds of the family Emberizidae.
They are seed-eating birds with stubby, conical bills, and are the Old World equivalents of the species known in North America as (American) sparrows. (However, these birds are not closely related to the Old World sparrows which are in the family Passeridae.)
Some emberizids are still named "finches" rather than "buntings". Conversely, there are New World species retaining the name "bunting" which are now classed in the family Cardinalidae. Among those are the painted and indigo buntings.
Genera and species
In taxonomic order (but see Systematics section below).
Genus Plectrophenax - Arctic buntings (form a group with longspurs rather distantly related to other emberizids), and now placed in a separate family Calcariidae.
Snow bunting, Plectrophenax nivalis
McKay's bunting, Plectrophenax hyperboreus
The lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) is an American sparrow.
The Lapland bunting (Calcarius lapponicus) is also known as Lapland longspur, and is considered under longspurs, and also placed in a separate family Calcariidae.
Buntings not yet tested and therefore still to be placed in this scheme include Emberiza species koslowi & cineracea (probably in clade B), and sahari, socotrana, poliopleura, and affinis (probably in clade D).
