Common reed bunting

Short Description

The common reed bunting has a dark-brown streaked back and greyish-white underparts.

Males have a black head and throat. A striking feature is their white neck collar.

Females look more inconspicuous with a drab brown head and a black-and-white moustachial stripe and a pale supercilium (plumage on the head).

Features

Common reed bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

males with white neck collar

Gesang

Conrads, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Similar species

Rustic bunting

Emberiza rustica

The rustic bunting is stouter with a shorter tail and a longer bill. In addition, its flanks are marked with red-brown patches.

Little bunting

Emberiza pusilla

In their basic and juvenile plumage, both birds look similar. The tail of the little bunting is shorter and its bill longer and straighter. In addition, it has an obvious white eye-ring and pink legs.

In the city

Common reed buntings are found near inland waters with dense vegetation along their banks. In winter, some leave these areas close to bodies of water and move with chaffinches and sparrows to parks or feeding sites.

Fun Facts

Common reed buntings complain loudly when disturbed.
Common reed buntings are migratory birds that hibernate in the Mediterranean. They return to Germany from their winter quarters from March onwards.
The common reed bunting is also known as the reed sparrow, because of its similarity in size and colour - with the exception of its black head markings.
Endangerment level Germany: not endangered

Männchen (CC BY-SA 3.0) Martin Mecnarowski

Sources

Männchen, Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rohrammer_maenchen.jpg

Weibchen, Andreas Trepte, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reed_Bunting.jpg

Männchen, Martin Mecnarowski, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Emberiza_schoeniclus_1_(Martin_Mecnarowski).jpg

Svensson, L. (2011) Der Kosmos Vogelführer - Alle Arten Europas, Nordafrikas und Vorderasiens, Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Page „Rohrammer“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 10.12.2015, 11:29 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rohrammer&oldid=148926025 (Accessed: 12.02.2016).

Singer, D. (2013): Welcher Vogel ist das?: Vögel Europas. Der Kosmos Naturführer, edition 3, Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.

Brodowski, G. (2007-2021) Die Rohrammer, URL: http://www.brodowski-fotografie.de/beobachtungen/rohrammer.html (Accessed: 22.03.2021).

Witt, K. & Steiof, K. (2013) Rote Liste und Liste der Brutvögel von Berlin, 3. version, 15.11.2013. : Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (eds.) Berliner Ornithologischer Bericht, volume 23, Berlin: Berliner Ornithologische Arbeitsgemeinschaft e.V., 1-23.

NABU – Naturschutzbund Deutschland e.V. (2016) Rote Liste der Brutvögel Deutschlands. 5. version, published August 2016, URL: https://www.nabu.de/tiere-und-pflanzen/voegel/artenschutz/rote-listen/10221.html (Accessed: 07.04.2017).