Tolka River Valley Park (TRVP)
Finglas/Cabra
Dublin Ireland
Scientific classification
Domain:Eukaryota
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Aves
Order:Passeriformes
Family:Emberizidae
Genus:Emberiza
Species:E. schoeniclus
Binomial name
Emberiza schoeniclus
[order] PASSERIFORMES | [family] Emberizidae | [latin] Emberiza schoeniclus | [UK] Reed Bunting | [FR] Bruant des roseaux | [DE] Rohrammer | [ES] Escribano Palustre | [NL] Rietgors |
[IRL] Gealóg ghiolcaí
spanwidth min.: 21 cm
spanwidth max.: 26 cm
size min.: 14 cm
size max.: 16 cm
Breeding
incubation min.: 12 days
incubation max.: 15 days
fledging min.: 10 days
fledging max.: 15 days
broods 2
eggs min.: 3
eggs max.: 7
Status: Widespread resident of wetlands throughout Ireland.
Conservation Concern: Green-listed in Ireland. The European population has been evaluated as Secure.
Identification: Typical bunting in size and shape, with chunky bill and long tail. Adult summer males have a black neck and throat, with a prominent white collar on the neck and a small white stripe from the bill to the neck. The underparts are off-white with some faint black streaking on the flanks. The back and wings are rather cryptically streaked black and brown. In adult winter males much of the white collar and black throat is moulted to a pale brown. The head is dark brown with a small white eyering. Adult summer female Reed Buntings appear much like winter males, but have extensive black streaking on the underparts and lack the white collar. Lacks the white eyering. Adult winter females/first-winters have a dark brown crown, broad buffy supercilium and pale brown stripe from the bill to the neck. Otherwise as for adult summer female.
Similar Species: Other Bunting species.
Call: Most frequently heard call is a short "ziu". The song is one of the distinctive sounds of spring and summer wetlands - a short three part phrase: "si zu zizi".
Diet: Feeds on various seeds and grains, as well as insects during the breeding season.
Breeding: A common breeding bird in wetlands with some reedbed areas or in boglands and less frequently in young conifer plantations.
Wintering: Largely resident, though may gather in small flocks at favoured sites, such as winter stubble fields.
Where to See: Widespread in Ireland along Coastal Estuaries
Physical characteristics
Medium-sized to rather large bunting, seemingly large headed and thick-necked (male), with fairly lengthy form and distinctive voice. Breeding male instantly recognized by black head and bib and white collar, shared only by Pallass Reed Bunting. Paler eastern birds, rare small individuals, and occasional aberrant head plumage present serious pitfalls. Has habit of nervously spreading tail. Sexes dissimilar, marked seasonal variation in male.
Habitat
Most widespread in range of west Palearctic breeding Emmberizidae, inhabiting oceanic islands and peninsulas, and continental plains from arctic through boreal, temperate, and Mediterranean to steppe and even desert climatic zones. Yet within this vast range, choice of occupied sites is ecologically restricted to particular types of dense and prolific fairly low vegetation, mainly associated with intense soil moisture. Avoids both closed forest and typical open country, as well as bare, rocky, or frozen surfaces, steep or broken ground, and areas of immediate human disturbance or settlement.
Other details
Emberiza schoeniclus is a widespread breeder across much of Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is very large (>4,800,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although the species declined in several countries-notably Norway and Sweden-during 1990-2000, populations were stable across most of Europe, including key ones in Russia and Romania, and the species declined only slightly overall.
Feeding
Seeds and other plant material, invertebrates in breeding season, and also opportunistically during remainder of year. Takes plant and animal material on ground among sedges, rushes, reeds, etc., in pasture and marshy grasslands, and also low in waterside bushes and trees willow, alder, or on stems of reed. Outside breeding season, more often on ground in open countryside and cultivated fields, weedy areas, woodland clearings, uplands, etc., well away from water, often in flocks with other seed-eaters.
Conservation
This species has an extremely large range, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the range size criterion (Extent of Occurrence 30% decline over ten years or three generations). The population size is extremely large, and hence does not approach the thresholds for Vulnerable under the population size criterion (10% in ten years or three generations, or with a specified population structure). For these reasons the species is evaluated as Least Concern. [conservation status from birdlife.org]
Breeding
Breeding starts from May to july. Nest site is usually well hidden on ground or on sedge tussocks, heaps of dead rushes, reeds, etc., by water, also up to 4 m above ground. Nest is a foundation of stems and blades of sedges, grasses, and other waterside plants, occasionally small twigs, lined with finer plant material, moss, rootlets, and sometimes hair or feathers. clutch 4-5 eggs, incubation, 12-15 days, by female only.
Migration
Northern group schoeniclus sedentary to migratory- southern pyrrhuloides group of races chiefly sedentary. Winters in areas with little or no snow cover (except pyrrhuloides group) making mid-winter flights if snowfall persists. In Europe, nominate schoeniclus migratory in north-east, increasingly sedentary towards south-west- migrants head between SSW and west. Some birds winter south of range in Mediterranean region. Thus, in Strait of Gibraltar (where few breed), locally common in winter, and regular on passage. In Corsica (where none breed), regular in small numbers. Widespread winter visitor in small numbers in north-west Africa, reported to edge of Sahara. Autumn movement chiefly mid-September to mid-November- spring movement chiefly mid-February to April.