Common reed bunting

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Common reed bunting
Male
Female – Both at Otmoor, Oxfordshire
Male bird recorded in Norfolk, England

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Emberizidae
Genus: Emberiza
Species:
E. schoeniclus
Binomial name
Emberiza schoeniclus
Subspecies
  • E. s. schoeniclus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • E. s. caspia Ménétries, 1832
  • E. s. centralasiae Hartert, 1904
  • E. s. harterti Sushkin, 1906
  • E. s. incognita (Zarudny, 1917)
  • E. s. intermedia Degland, 1849
  • E. s. korejewi (Zarudny, 1907)
  • E. s. lusitanica Steinbacher, 1930
  • E. s. pallidior Hartert, 1904
  • E. s. parvirostris Buturlin, 1910
  • E. s. passerina Pallas, 1771
  • E. s. pyrrhulina (Swinhoe, 1876)
  • E. s. pyrrhuloides Pallas, 1811
  • E. s. reiseri Hartert, 1904
  • E. s. schoeniclus (Linnaeus, 1758)
  • E. s. stresemanni Steinbacher, 1930
  • E. s. tschusii Reiser and Almasy, 1898
  • E. s. ukrainae (Zarudny, 1917)
  • E. s. witherbyi von Jordans, 1923
  • E. s. zaidamensis Portenko, 1929
Range of E. schoeniclus
  Breeding
  Resident
  Passage
  Non-breeding
Synonyms
  • Fringilla schoeniclus Linnaeus, 1758
  • Schoeniclus schoeniclus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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.[3]

It breeds across 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 cultivation. 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 acidic soils of the lowlands and upland fringe.

Taxonomy

The common reed bunting was

type locality as Europe but this is now restricted to Sweden.[7] Nineteen subspecies are recognised.[5]

The bird family

, which are sometimes classified as being in the genus Schoeniclus.

Subspecies

Nineteen subspecies are recognised, including- E. s. schoeniclus, the

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, 13.5–15.5 cm (5.3–6.1 in) long, with a small but sturdy seed-eater's bill. The male has a black head and throat, white neck collar and underparts, and a heavily streaked brown back. The female is much duller, with a streaked brown head, and is more streaked below. The song of the male is a repetitive srip.

Behaviour

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

Breeding

Breeding normally starts in early April, finishing in late August depending on location and altitude. The species is monogamous[citation needed]. The nest is built using 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, which show the hair-like markings characteristic of those of buntings. The incubation period is 12–15 days where the chicks are fed by both parents.[9]

Status

The reed bunting is not globally threatened and classified as

IUCN.[1]
The estimated European population is at least 4.8 million pairs, with particular strongholds in Sweden, Poland and Norway. However, the reed bunting is reportedly declining in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany.

Gallery

  • Emberiza schoeniclus
  • A male in winter in England
    A male in winter in England
  • In natural shore habitat
    In natural shore habitat
  • Female
    Female
  • ID composite
    ID composite
  • Eggs
    Eggs
  • Leucistic reed bunting
    Leucistic reed bunting

Media related to Emberiza schoeniclus at Wikimedia Commons

References

External links