
Reed Bunting 15 cm in size. Male has completely black head in summer with white moustache stripe, white collar and underparts and chestnut brown upperparts with black and dirty white striping. Wings like upperparts, but with chestnut brown small coverts. Flanks and chest dark brown or black striped. Rump greyish, tail with white outer tail feathers. Female has dark crown and cheeks, white moustache stripe and indistinct but broad eyebrow stripe. Juvenile resembles female. Constantly bobs and spreads tail.
Distribution area extends from Western Europe to the Far East on the islands of Japan; from Scandinavia to North Africa. Very numerous breeding bird in the Netherlands, partly migratory, migrant and winter guest in fairly large numbers.
Damp areas with reed, sedges, tall grass and low trees. Also in drier areas on migration. Lifestyle Food Seeds and insects in summer, mainly seeds in winter. Forages in low vegetation and on the ground.
Number of eggs in clutch usually 4-5, sometimes 6-7. Belly. Smooth and shiny. Very light purplish or violet-grey, rarely yellow-brown or greenish. Covered with large, often sparse scribbles and spots in black and blackish-brown. Often showing a vague purplish edge. Size 19.9 x 14.7 mm.