Common Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus (Linnaeus, 1758)

≈14 cmLength24 cmWingspan18 gWeight

The male has a black head and throat, a white collar, and a brown back with dark stripes.

Busiest months: April–May · Most records: United Kingdom, Spain, Germany

Least Concern

How to identify

Field marks

Male: head and throat black
Male: a white collar around the neck
Male: belly white
Male: back rufous with dark stripes

Male, female and young

The female is duller, with a brown, striped head and more stripes on the underparts.

Voice

The male’s song is a repeated “srip”.

Where and when it's recorded

Common Reed Bunting has been recorded at 1,392 of the 8,171 birding hotspots we track, in 73 countries and regions.

Records by month Northern Hemisphere

Where it's recorded most

Titchwell Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom5,103 records
Amwell HMWT NRUnited Kingdom4,886 records
Minsmere RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom3,424 records

More places

Spurn Bird Observatory Recording AreaUnited Kingdom3,385 records
Rainham Marshes RSPB Reserve, SSSI and LNRUnited Kingdom2,529 records
Frampton Marsh RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom2,462 records
Otmoor RSPB ReserveUnited Kingdom2,374 records
Rutland WaterUnited Kingdom2,272 records
East Tilbury River and MarshesUnited Kingdom2,172 records
Cley & Salthouse Marshes NWT NR – Cley Marshes including Hides and Visitor CentreUnited Kingdom1,902 records

Countries and regions with the most records

United Kingdom Spain Germany Czechia Sweden Switzerland Poland Finland

eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.

About

The common reed bunting (Schoeniclus schoeniclus), or simply reed bunting, is a passerine bird in the family Emberizidae. This species breeds throughout Europe and much of the Palearctic region. While most individuals migrate south in winter, those in the milder south and west of the range are resident.

Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia

Questions

How big is the Common Reed Bunting?

The Common Reed Bunting is about ≈14 cm long, with a wingspan of 24 cm and weighs around 18 g.

Where does the Common Reed Bunting live?

Its breeding range: Palearctic: subarctic to temperate Palearctic marshes: British Isles, Scandinavia and northwestern Russia through Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands and Sakhalin (eastern Russia); in south through Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Morocco, east through Mediterranean, Turkey, Caucasus, northern, south-central Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), western Mongolia, northeastern China and Hokkaido and northern Honshu (northern Japan). It is most often recorded in United Kingdom, Spain and Germany.

When is the best time to see the Common Reed Bunting?

At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in April and May (Northern Hemisphere).

Is the Common Reed Bunting endangered?

The IUCN Red List classifies the Common Reed Bunting as Least Concern.

What does the Common Reed Bunting eat?

Main food: Omnivore.

What family is the Common Reed Bunting in?

It belongs to the family Buntings (Emberizidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).

At a glance

Length: ≈14 cm
Wingspan: 24 cm
Weight: 18 g
Habitat: Wetland
Diet: Omnivore
Lifestyle: Active on the ground
Migration: Partial migrant
Conservation: Least Concern

More measurements

Wing: 78 mm
Tail: 64 mm
Bill: 11 mm
Tarsus: 19 mm

Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.

Range

Palearctic: subarctic to temperate Palearctic marshes: British Isles, Scandinavia and northwestern Russia through Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Kuril Islands and Sakhalin (eastern Russia); in south through Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Morocco, east through Mediterranean, Turkey, Caucasus, northern, south-central Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to northern Xinjiang (northwestern China), western Mongolia, northeastern China and Hokkaido and northern Honshu (northern Japan)

Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2

Subspecies · 4

Emberiza schoeniclus pyrrhulina sc Siberia and ne Mongolia to Kamchatka Pen., Kuril Is., n Japan and ne China
Emberiza schoeniclus harterti e Kazakhstan to c Mongolia and nw China
Emberiza schoeniclus centralasiae w China
Emberiza schoeniclus zaidamensis wc China