Reed Bunting

Listen to example recordings of the main vocalisations of Reed Bunting, provided by xeno-canto contributors.

This species can be found on the following statutory and conservation listings and schedules.

UK Birds of Conservation Concern	Amber listed
Species of European Conservation Concern	Least Concern
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (global)	Least Concern
Schedule 1 license required (to disturb)	No
Birds Directive Annex 1	No
Listed on the Annexes of	WCA(III), Bern(III), NERC (41)

Reed Bunting abundance has fluctuated without a clear trend since the 1980s. The long-term WBS/WBBS trend shows a large decline and raises an alert, contrasting with the long-term CBC/BBS trend. However, the CBC/BBS trend shows a substantial increase in the first eight years until the mid-1970s followed by a substantial decline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and therefore the trends would be consistent if they had both started in 1975. Results from BBS indicate significant population increase since 1995, though with a downturn from around 2008 to 2012. The BBS map of change in relative density between 1994-96 and 2007-09 indicates that increase over that period was widespread, but strongest in northeastern England, while decrease had occurred in Northern Ireland, Orkney and the far southeast. The initial decline placed Reed Bunting on the red list but in 2009, with evidence from BBS of some recovery in numbers, the species was moved from red to amber. There has been a decline across Europe since 1980 (PECBMS: PECBMS 2020a>).

UK breeding population

No population change in UK (1967–2022)

Breeding Reed Buntings are widely distributed across Britain and Ireland with gaps confined to the more barren uplands of northern Scotland, including Shetland and some Hebridean islands. Highest densities are associated mostly with large lowland vales and plains. Reed Buntings are mostly sedentary and distribution patterns in winter and the breeding season differ only where birds abandon upland areas in winter.

• 

• 

Occupied 10-km squares in UK

No. occupied in breeding season	2507
% occupied in breeding season	83
No. occupied in winter	2422
% occupied in winter	80

European Distribution Map

European Breeding Bird Atlas 2

Breeding Season Habitats

Most frequent in

Reedbed

Relative frequency by habitat

Relative occurrence in different habitat types during the breeding season.

The breeding distribution has been largely stable since the 1968–72 Breeding Atlas, despite a major population increase and subsequent decline in the 1970s. More recently, increases in abundance are apparent in eastern and northeast England and in southern Scotland, whilst declines are concentrated into southeast England. Some declines are also apparent in eastern Ireland.

Reed Bunting is recorded throughout the year, with detections peaking at 20% of complete lists in summer when easily detected by song.

View a summary of recoveries in the Online Ringing Report.

Foreign locations of birds ringed or recovered in Britain & Ireland

View number ringed each year in the Online Ringing Report

Maximum Age from Ringing	9 years 11 months 18 days (set in 1978)
Typical Lifespan	3 years with breeding typically at 1 year
Adult Survival	0.542±0.019   (Male: 0.559±0.033 Female: 0.523±0.041)
Juvenile Survival	0.474 (in first year)

Wing Length	Adults	77.8±3.6 | Range 72–83mm, N=17032
	Juveniles	77.3±6.7 | Range 72-82mm, N=14164
	Males	80.1±2.6 | Range 76–84mm, N=9655
	Females	74.8±2.1 | Range 72–78mm, N=7258

Body Weight	Adults	19.2±1.8 | Range 16.4–22.2g, N=14380
	Juveniles	18.6±1.7 | Range 16.0–21.5g, N=11985
	Males	20.1±1.5 | Range 17.8–22.6g, N=8143
	Females	18.0±1.4 | Range 16.0–20.5g, N=6136

Feather measurements and photos on featherbase

Ring size	A (pulli B)
Field Codes	2-letter: RB | 5-letter code: REEBU | Euring: 18770

For information in another language (where available) click on a linked name

Causes of change

Detailed demographic analyses suggest that the decline was driven by decreasing survival rates and that a subsequent population recovery may have been prevented by increased nest losses.

Further information on causes of change

The early increase in the CBC index was associated with a gradual spread into drier habitats, especially farmland, and it is likely that the subsequent decline was related to agricultural intensification. Detailed demographic analyses suggest that the decline was driven by decreasing survival rates and that a subsequent population recovery may have been prevented by increased nest losses (Peach et al. 1999). This is supported by a steep decline in CES productivity and by a major increase in failure rates at the egg stage, and a consequent fall in the number of fledglings per breeding attempt. Farmland densities are four times higher in oilseed rape than in cereals or setaside and this crop is crucial in reducing the dependency of the species on wetlands (Gruar et al. 2006).

Information about conservation actions

Like the related Yellowhammer, the research suggests that the main driver of the decline may have been reduced survival and therefore conservation actions to ensure sufficient food is available during winter will be needed to help reverse the decline. However, there is also evidence that increased nest losses may be preventing recovery and so this also needs to be addressed.

During winter, similar conservation actions to those proposed for Yellowhammer and other seed-eating birds are likely to also benefit the Reed Bunting. These include the direct provision of supplementary food, the retention of stubble fields, the planting of wild bird seed or game cover, reducing herbicide and pesticide use, and the provision of semi-natural habitats, e.g. through the provision of buffer strips, set-aside and conservation headlands, and through less intensive farmland management practices.

For Reed Buntings nesting in wetlands, a Swiss study suggested that, in order to reduce the probability of nest predation, wetland reserve management should aim to create larger wetlands and large dense reed patches rather than fragmented habitat (Pasinelli & Schlegg 2006). Away from wetlands, nesting densities in farmland are four times higher in oilseed rape than in cereals or set-aside and therefore this crop is crucial in reducing the dependency of the species on wetlands (Gruar et al. 2006).