Altaf Hussain Narejo and Muhammad Moazzam
SUMMARY
The ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana) was last assessed as “Least Concern” (LC) by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species in 2025. This research aims to document a new provincial record of the ortolan bunting in Sindh, Pakistan, which would bridge a significant distributional gap, update the species’ national presence map, and enhance our understanding of its migratory connections and habitat use in Pakistan’s coastal ecosystems. The Emberiza hortulana specimen was visually identified and confirmed using field guides, and photographic evidence. The ortolan bunting (Emberiza hortulana) was reported for the first time from Pakistan as a straggler on a fishing vessel that was operating off the coast of Sindh, near the Indus Swatch. A single adult individual was photographed and observed exhibiting resting and preening behavior while perched on the deck of the fishing vessel. The species is a Palearctic migrant typically recorded during passage through continental stopover sites in southern Asia; however, its offshore occurrences are not common. The paper reports observations, highlights possible causes for the offshore displacement, and contributes to knowledge of vagrancy and migration dynamics of E. hortulana in Pakistan.
Keywords: Ortolan Bunting, vagrant, offshore record, migration, Indus Swatch, Pakistan