In a major breakthrough for bird conservation, the first international winter census of the critically endangered Yellow breasted Bunting has recorded more than 187,000 individuals across six Asian countries offering scientists the first reliable population baseline for the rapidly declining migratory bird.
The large scale survey, known as the Joint Yellow breasted Bunting Winter Roost Count, was conducted between February and March 2026 across India, Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia.
The initiative brought together universities, government agencies, bird monitoring groups, and conservation organisations from across Asia in one of the region’s largest collaborative avian studies.
Among the participating organisations were Bird Count India, Bird Conservation Society of Thailand, Bird Conservation Nepal, NatureLife Cambodia, Biodiversity And Nature Conservation Association, and National University of Laos.
Researchers described the census as a historic milestone for Asian landbird conservation.
Once considered one of the most abundant landbirds across Eurasia, the Yellow breasted Bunting experienced a catastrophic population collapse over recent decades. Scientists estimate the species lost up to 95 percent of its global population due to widespread hunting along migratory routes, habitat destruction, and intensive agricultural practices involving agrochemicals.
The bird has been listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 2017.
To estimate winter populations survey teams monitored known roosting locations where the birds gather overnight. Researchers positioned themselves near roost sites at dawn and counted buntings as they flew out in large flocks.
The census recorded a total of 187,310 Yellow-breasted Buntings across the surveyed countries.
Thailand emerged as the species’ strongest remaining refuge, accounting for 126,076 birds across six surveyed sites. Myanmar reported 49,086 birds at three sites, while Cambodia recorded 10,407 birds across two locations. Nepal documented 1,741 birds from five sites.
In India researchers observed several hundred buntings outside major roosting areas though key sites proved difficult to access during the survey period. Laos did not identify any significant roost sites during the count.
Scientists cautioned that the figure should be treated as a baseline estimate rather than the species’ full global population because not all wintering sites were covered and some birds may not roost communally.
To supplement the census, conservation groups also organised a citizen-science-based Winter Bunting Count between November 2025 and April 2026. Birdwatchers submitted sightings through the eBird platform, generating more than 25,000 records covering eight bunting species across 20 Asian countries and regions.
Researchers say the combined datasets will help improve long-term monitoring and conservation planning for migratory grassland birds.
Conservationists involved in the initiative warned that the near collapse of a once extraordinarily common species serves as a broader ecological warning.
They described the Yellow breasted Bunting’s decline as evidence of increasing environmental pressure across Asian agricultural landscapes and migratory corridors.
Following the success of the first coordinated census, the international coalition now plans to expand future surveys with broader site coverage, more participating countries, and a standardised monitoring manual for field teams.
Experts say the project marks the beginning of a new era of cross-border collaboration for protecting migratory landbirds across Asia.