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Common Reed Bunting

Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

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The Common Reed Bunting is a small bunting of wetlands and open country, breeding across Europe and much of the Palearctic. Breeding males have a black head and throat with a crisp white collar, while females are browner and streaked. Many birds migrate south for the winter, though populations in milder western and southern areas stay year-round. It sings a simple, repeated song from reed tops and bushes.

Did you know?

  • Despite its name it also breeds in drier places such as moorland and farmland, not just reedbeds.
  • The male's black head is revealed in spring as the brown tips of the head feathers wear away – no moult is needed.

Voice

Song
Call
Flight call

About the species

Identification

In spring the male has a black head and white collar that set off its brown back and wings; the female lacks the strong black-and-white head pattern and has a pale supercilium and moustachial stripe. The dark tail has white outer feathers, and the bill is small but typical of a seed-eater. It often sings a simple, monotonous song from the top of a reed or bush; the call is a clear “tsiu”. After the moult the male can look female-like until the brown feather tips wear off and the black-and-white pattern reappears.

Family

Emberizidae

Size

Small (sparrow)

Colours

brown, black, white, grey

About the habitat

Reedbeds, marshes, lakeshores, wet meadows and ditch-lined farmland with patches of reeds or tall sedges; also drier open country such as moorland and arable land.

Diet

Mainly seeds for much of the year; insects and other invertebrates especially in the breeding season. It forages on the ground and among reeds and wet vegetation.

Behaviour

Often perches on reed stems to sing; otherwise feeds low and can be skulking. It nests low in dense vegetation, often in reed tussocks or bushes, and both parents feed the young. Outside the breeding season it joins small flocks, flicking its long, white-edged tail.

Sources

Photo: caroline legg, CC BY 2.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reed Bunting - Emberiza schoeniclus (52015951301).jpg

Sound: Pascal Christe, XC731093, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/731093

Sound: Teet Sirotkin, XC1157224, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://xeno-canto.org/1157224

Sound: Sonothèque ADVL, XC707688, CC0 1.0 https://xeno-canto.org/707688

Text: Wikipedia (English) + FinBIF species descriptions, CC BY-SA 4.0; FinBIF: CC BY 4.0 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_reed_bunting

See also