Common reed bunting

The common reed bunting (''Emberiza schoeniclus'') is a passerine bird in the bunting family Emberizidae, a group now separated by most modern authors from the finches, Fringillidae. The genus name ''Emberiza'' is from Old German ''Embritz'', a bunting. The specific ''schoeniclus'' is from Ancient Greek ''skhoiniklos'', a now unknown waterside bird.

It breeds throughout Europe and much of the Palearctic. Most birds migrate south in winter, but those in the milder south and west of the range are resident. It is common in reedbeds and also breeds in drier open areas such as moorland and arable land. For example, it is a component of the purple moor grass and rush pastures, a type of Biodiversity Action Plan habitat in the UK. It occurs on poorly drained neutral and acid soils of the lowlands and upland fringe.

Taxonomy

The common reed bunting was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758 in the tenth edition of his ''Systema Naturae'' under the binomial name ''Fringilla schoeniclus''. This bunting is now placed in the genus ''Emberiza'' that Linnaeus had introduced in the same edition of his ''Systema Naturae''. The specific epithet ''schoeniclus '' is from the Ancient Greek ''skhoiniklos'', a word that was used by Greek authors for an unidentified bird. Linnaeus specified the type locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden. Nineteen subspecies are recognised.

The bird family Emberizidae contains approximately 300 species of seed-eating birds, the majority of which are endemic to the Americas. However, the genus ''Emberiza'', which comprises over 40 species, is exclusively found in the Old World. Within its genus, the reed bunting is most closely related to the Japanese reed bunting and the Pallas's reed bunting, which are sometimes classified as being in the genus Schoeniclus.

Subspecies

Nineteen subspecies are recognised, including- ''E. s. schoeniclus'', the nominate subspecies, which occurs in most of Europe, ''E. s. witherbyi'' which is found in south Portugal, western Spain, France and Sardinia, ''E. s. intermedia'' from Italy and the Adriatic coast to northwest Albania, ''E. s. reiseri'' from southeast Albania, northwest Greece, south North Macedonia and west and central Turkey, ''E. s. caspia'' from east Turkey and northwest Iran, ''E. s. korejewi'' from southwest and eastern Iran and south Turkmenistan, ''E. s. pyrrhuloides'' from north Caspian sea region to western Mongolia, southeast Kazakhstan and central Tien Shan, ''E. s. passerina'' from northwest Siberia, wintering in south Asia, ''E. s. parvirostris'' from central Siberia wintering in northern China, ''E. s. pyrrhulina'' from Kamchatka and northern Japan, wintering in central Japan, Korea and eastern China, ''E. s. pallidior'' from southwestern Siberia wintering in southwest Asia, ''E. s. minor'' from Russian Far East and northeast China, wintering in east China, ''E. s. ukrainae'' from Ukraine and adjacent areas of Russia, ''E. s. incognita'' from southeastern European Russia to north Kazakhstan and ''E. s. zaidamensis'', endemic to northwest Qinghai, China.

Description

The common reed bunting is a medium-sized bird, long and weighing 10–28 g, with a small but powerful seed-eating bill. The male has a black head and throat, white neck collar and underparts, and a heavily barred brown back. The female is much duller, with a streaked brown head, and more barring underneath.
The male's song is a repetitive .

Behaviour

Its natural diet consists of insects when feeding its young, and seeds otherwise.

Breeding

Breeding usually begins in early April and ends in late August, depending on location and altitude. The species is monogamous. The nest is made of twigs, grass and reeds lined with finer materials such as hair, moss and rootlets in a bush or reed tussock. 4–5 olive-grey eggs are laid, showing the distinctive hair-like markings characteristic of those of buntings. The incubation period is 12–15 days, during which the chicks are fed by both parents.

Status

The reed bunting is not globally threatened and is listed as least concern by the IUCN. The estimated European population is at least 4.8 million pairs, with particular strongholds in Sweden, Poland and Norway. However, the reed bunting is reported to be declining in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

Gallery

Zingend mannetje rietgors in verschillende vegetatie-4961944.webm, Emberiza schoeniclus
Emberiza schoeniclus -England -male-8.jpg, A male in winter in England
EmberizaSchoeniclusNaturalHabitat.jpg, In natural shore habitat
Reed Bunting.jpg, Female
File:Reed Bunting from the Crossley ID Guide Britain and Ireland.jpg, ID composite
Emberiza schoeniclus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.218. Bréhal.jpg, Eggs
File:Leucistic Reed Bunting 1.jpg, Leucistic reed bunting

References

External links

''Emberiza schoeniclus'' : songs, sonagramsARKive
Stills, Video
Ageing and sexing (PDF; 3.7 MB) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta and Gerd-Michael Heinze

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q26961

common reed bunting
Birds of Eurasia
common reed bunting
common reed bunting