Photo: Pierre Dalous / CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Common Reed Bunting
Emberiza schoeniclus
Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) — Songbirds & Perching Birds of Europe & Northern Asia.
Found across 11 guides in our atlas — open any for the full checklist, photos and what's around right now.
The Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) is a member of the Emberizidae family found in Europe & Northern Asia. Adults weigh 18.4 g. The IUCN Red List lists it as Least Concern.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List (opens in a new tab)Widespread and abundant — not currently at risk.
Where it fits
- Class Aves
- Order Passeriformes
- Family Emberizidae Buntings
- Genus Emberiza
- Species schoeniclus
Where it lives
Subarctic to temperate Palearctic marshes: British Isles, Scandinavia and northwestern Russia through Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Kuril Is. and Sakhalin (eastern Russia); in south through Iberian Pen. 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)
Quick facts
- Weight
- 18.4 g
- Diet
- Omnivores
- Family
- Emberizidae
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Habitat
- Wetland, lake & coast
How to identify
Similar birds
Near Threatened
Least Concern
Endangered
Least Concern
Biology & behaviour
Diet
The Common Reed Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Behaviour
A bird of wetlands, it forages mainly on the ground.
Migration
The Common Reed Bunting is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
The Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) belongs to the Emberizidae family of the order Passeriformes. It occurs naturally across Europe & Northern Asia. Its distribution covers PAL subarctic to temperate Palearctic marshes: British Isles, Scandinavia and nw Russia through Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Kuril Is. and Sakhalin (e Russia); in s through Iberian Pen. and nw Morocco, e through Mediterranean, Turkey, Caucasus, n, sc Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to n Xinjiang (nw China), w Mongolia, ne China and Hokkaido and n Honshu (n Japan).
It is a small bird. Adults weighs around 18.4 g, with a wing length of about 7.8 cm and a tail of around 6.4 cm.
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern. That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
Its mapped global range covers an estimated 23.7 million km² — a very large global range.
Songs & calls
Frequently asked questions
How big is the Common Reed Bunting?
The Common Reed Bunting is a small bird that weighs around 18.4 g.
Where does the Common Reed Bunting live?
The Common Reed Bunting is found across Europe & Northern Asia with a range covering PAL subarctic to temperate Palearctic marshes: British Isles, Scandinavia and nw Russia through Sea of Okhotsk, Kamchatka, Kuril Is. and Sakhalin (e Russia); in s through Iberian Pen. and nw Morocco, e through Mediterranean, Turkey, Caucasus, n, sc Iran, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan to n Xinjiang (nw China), w Mongolia, ne China and Hokkaido and n Honshu (n Japan), where it is associated with wetlands, lakes and other open water.
What family does the Common Reed Bunting belong to?
The Common Reed Bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus) belongs to the Emberizidae family, in the order Passeriformes.
What does the Common Reed Bunting eat?
The Common Reed Bunting is a omnivore — it takes a broad, omnivorous diet of both plant and animal foods.
Does the Common Reed Bunting migrate?
The Common Reed Bunting is partially migratory: some populations move with the seasons while others stay resident year-round.
Is the Common Reed Bunting endangered?
The IUCN Red List currently assesses it as Least Concern That category covers species that remain widespread and reasonably abundant in the wild.
What sound does the Common Reed Bunting make?
1 real field recording of the Common Reed Bunting — including its call — can be played in the Songs & calls section on this page, credited to the recordist who captured it.
How large is the Common Reed Bunting's range?
The Common Reed Bunting has a mapped global range of about 23.7 million km².
Conservation
Every bird benefits from bird-safe windows, native plants, and keeping cats indoors. Small changes at home add up to real protection.
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