Reed Bunting

The Reed Bunting is a slender, wetland-loving bunting traditionally tied to reedbeds and marshy vegetation, though in recent decades it has also spread into drier farmland and scrub habitats away from water across much of its European range.

Appearance

Breeding males are boldly patterned, with a jet-black head and throat set off by a crisp white collar and a white moustachial stripe, over a streaked brown back and a greyish, streaked rump. Females and non-breeding males lack the black head, instead showing a warm brown, well-streaked head with a pale supercilium and a dark malar stripe.

Key Field Marks

• Breeding male: black head and throat, white collar and moustachial stripe
• Female/winter male: streaked brown head with pale eyebrow and dark cheek/malar stripe
• Streaked brown back and flanks, white outer tail feathers flashing in flight
• Slim build with a relatively long, notched tail

Similar Species

Female and winter Reed Buntings can resemble female House Sparrow or female Yellowhammer, but the head pattern — pale supercilium bordered by darker crown stripes and a bold dark malar stripe — combined with white outer tail feathers and a habitat closely tied to damp or scrubby vegetation help distinguish it. Little Bunting, a much rarer vagrant in western Europe, is smaller with a chestnut-tinged face and a complete pale eye-ring.

Habitat

Traditionally a bird of reedbeds, sedge marshes, and wet ditches, the Reed Bunting has adapted in many areas to breed in drier habitats too, including rough grassland, scrubby field margins, and even oilseed rape fields, particularly where wetland habitat has become scarce.

Range and Migration

The species breeds across most of Europe and temperate Asia. Northern populations are migratory, moving south to milder wintering areas, while southern and western populations are largely resident, sometimes joining mixed flocks with finches on farmland in winter.

Behavior

Reed Buntings often perch conspicuously on top of a reed stem or low bush to sing, flicking the tail and showing off the white outer tail feathers. In winter they may form small flocks and forage on the ground or low in vegetation, often alongside other seed-eating birds.

Voice

The song is a simple, rather monotonous, unmusical series of short notes: "tsip-tsip-tsip-tsissississ." The call is a thin, descending "tseeu" or a sharp "tsick."

Nesting and Breeding

The nest is built low, often on or near the ground, hidden in a tussock of grass, sedge, or low bush near water. A cup of grass and moss lined with fine grass and hair holds 4-5 eggs, marked with dark scrawling lines similar to those of other buntings; incubation, mainly by the female, lasts about 12-14 days.