[5] It has been suggested that the actual date of the description was 1845 due to delays in the publication of the journal of The Asiatic Society.

[9] This bunting is found mainly in dry and open habitats, often stony, scrubby hillsides covered with low thorn scrub.

It is found in Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bhutan, Nepal, China, Hong Kong, India, Iran, Israel,[10] Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Russia, Syria, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

It is an extremely rare vagrant north of its breeding range, with recent records from Finland and the Netherlands, though wanderers may be overlooked due to its similarity, in non-breeding plumage, to the closely related and far commoner ortolan bunting.

[11] Its natural habitat is temperate grassland mainly below 7000 ft.[12] In winter it is found in weedy or stubbly fields.