Buntings · Perching birds
Reed Bunting
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Emberiza schoeniclus
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Voice
Call
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Sonothèque ADVL
Song
Noé Ferrari
How to recognize it
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Sparrow-sized, 14–16 cm
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Male: black head and throat
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White neck collar, white underparts
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Female browner, streaked head, no black cap
About the species
Reed Bunting has a straightforward, easy-to-remember look, with the male’s black head standing out against an otherwise modest plumage. Females and young individuals are much quieter in appearance, so along the bank it can slip by unless you look twice.
Its call is soft, while the song is fuller and repeated. On the ground it moves in quick hops, and it can balance confidently on very thin reeds and twigs.
It favors edges of ponds, rivers, lakes, marshes, and wet meadows. It feeds mainly on seeds, adding insects in summer; most move south in winter, though in milder areas some stay put.
Where to find
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Along pond edges, canal banks, and slow river margins—where reeds and willow thickets stand—its short hops on stems and quiet, buzzy call give it away.
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On damp meadows and weedy vacant lots near water, it stays low in the grass and flushes in a quick burst from underfoot.
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In large city parks with reed-fringed bays or wet shorelines, look for a male singing from a reed tip or a raised tuft.
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Early in the morning at marshy lake edges, the song often comes from the reeds before the bunting itself shows.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Emberiza schoeniclus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Common reed bunting Encyclopedia article