Аннотация:Catastrophic by its scale and speed, the shrinking of the world population of the Yellow-breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola) happening now is too similar to the sad destiny of the Passenger Pigeon, which went extinct a hundred years ago due to industrial-scale harvesting. This species population, that in 1990’s still was one of the most numerous, breeding in meadows from Scandinavia to Japan, lost 80% of birds – all because hundreds of thousands of birds are being captured on migration and at wintering grounds with mist nets (previously unavailable in these countries). In 1980’s in the middle Amur basin, loud and clear ringing voices of these buntings were heard everywhere. During the last two decades their numbers rapidly dropped thirtyfold and they abandoned most of their usual habitats in Muraviovka Park. This bird is now listed in the Red Data Book of Russia as a Category 2 species whose existence is threatened and numbers are steadily and rapidly declining. The IUCN Red List has it as Critically Endangered. It also is included in the Russian-Chinese Agreement on Protection of Migratory Birds and Their Habitats. Still, this species is more abundant in Muraviovka Park than anywhere else in the world. In spring of 2017 a local farming coop unlawfully plowed over 250 acres of meadows that served as critically important habitat for the Yellow-breasted Bunting. The Park has received compensation from the coop and is developing a program on restoration of the meadows, which would require special funding to bring experts and volunteers to the Park.