Common reed bunting Emberiza schoeniclus

Features

The common reed bunting is a medium-sized bunting of the same size and shape as a sparrow. The common reed bunting is considered to nest rarely in Slovenia. It occurs all year round, because in winter, in the midst of severe frost, we also find populations of the common reed bunting that nest high in the north of Europe.

Species	Bird
Living space	Field, Swamp
Size	13 - 16 cm
Weight	10 - 28 g

Description

The common reed bunting's beak is dark and relatively small, and the feathers have predominant shades of brown and ochre-white with a pattern of darker stripes. The common reed bunting also characteristically has white outter tail feathers. During the nesting season, we can easily distinguish the males from the females (and other species), since their head, temples and facial features are completely black. The black colouar also spreads from the throat to the chest. In summer, a white collar is typical for the males, extending from the black ‘bib’ to the back and including a white moustache along the beak. In winter, the head of the males is not so contrastingly coloured; the raven-black colour disappears almost completely and only a streaky pattern on the chest remains, hinting to the summer colouration. The males retain their white moustache and collar in winter, but the collar does not reach their nape any more. In summer, the females do not have a collar (only a white moustache); in addition, their head is not uniformly black, and the longitudinal stripes along the hips and chest become much more pronounced. The common reed bunting is active during the day, when it searches for food in low growth. Adults are most likely to feed on seeds (they especially enjoy grass seeds), but in summer most of their diet consists of insects and similar invertebrates, which the parents also feed to their young.