[Objectives] Populations of long-distance migratory passerines have been declining continuously, and such decline has been especially striking in Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica. Through a long-term monitoring and migration dynamics analysis of Rustic Bunting, this study aims to provide a scientific basis for more effective conservation actions. [Methods] We collected and analyzed the data on Rustic Buntings between 2001 and 2018 from 10 banding stations in Northeast China, including Gaofeng, Qingfeng, Maoershan, Xinqing and Dazhanhe in Heilongjiang Province, Hunchun and Jilin in Jilin Province, Liaoning bird research center in Dalian and Lvshun Laotieshan in Liaoning Province as well as Wuerqihan in Inner Mongolia. Mist-net was set nearby water on the edge of the forest where bird inhabits and checked every 30 minutes. The captured birds were banded and recorded before being released. In Gaofeng, Maoershan and Qingfeng banding station, the survey was conducted from 15th, March to 31th May in Spring and from 15th August to 20th November in Autumn. 70 mist-nets with 3m in height and 20m in length were set in different habitats in these three banding stations. We conducted statistic analysis on data from these three banding stations and used data from the rest of the banding stations for auxiliary analysis. The sex of Rustic Buntings is mainly distinguished by the color of the head, the color of the midline of the crown feathers, the width of the crown feathers (In males, the crown feathers are black in spring and the ear feathers are black while the base of the crown feathers is black in winter. Female's crown feathers and ear feathers are not black and the midline of the crown feathers are dark brown in winter). The age of Rustic Buntings is distinguished by the uniformity of the tail feathers-growth line, the degree of wear in tail feathers-tip, the width of the outer tail feather, the situation of molt in flight feathers and the color of iris. Birth to the end of the year is recorded as a juvenile. The following spring is recorded as sub-adult and the following autumn and beyond is recorded as an adult. [Results] A total of 184,181 Rustic Buntings were banded in our 18 years survey, including 88 571 in spring and 95 610 in autumn. The annual banding number fluctuated greatly and showed a rapid downward trend. The overwintering mortality rate of juvenile birds was 41.3% higher than that of adults. The data on the 106 recovered Rustic Buntings indicated that under natural conditions， Rustic Buntings enjoy a life span of up to 11 years, and can travel as far as 300 kilometers a day. Northeast China is an important migration channel for Rustic Buntings, with a relatively stable migration route. It is where Rustic Buntings would fly through on their way to the south of Tianjin for overwintering after breeding in northern Sweden. [Conclusion] The results showed that the Rustic Bunting population decreased rapidly in recent years, as the banding number decreased by more than 95% compared with the peak year, which deserves our greater attention. Habitat fragmentation and illegal hunting are two major threats to Rustic Buntings. It is suggested that efforts should be made to strengthen habitat protection, keep long-term ringing monitoring, and explore migration patterns of Rustic Bunting, so as to facilitate its population recovery.