Reedbed specialists

Reedbeds are great places to live if you want to be concealed from the public gaze but with plentiful access to insects, fish and amphibians etc from behind the ‘curtain’. So, we have a range of bird species which specialise in hanging out (and breeding) in our extensive reedbeds. Here are six for starters.

Marsh Harrier

Our largest harrier, and the one most associated with wetlands, nests in loose colonies in reedbeds. Females are larger than males, and dark chocolate brown with creamy buff shoulder patches, crown and throat. Males are prettier, with pale grey tails, a white rump and pale grey brown and black wings.

Water Rail

Famed for sounding like a squealing piglet, Water Rails have a range of other odd sounds which are usually the only sign that they live in a reedbed near you. But, they do sometimes appear at the edge of the reeds, looking like a small slim Moorhen with blue-grey face and underparts, black-and-white striped flanks, streaked brown back, and a long red bill, like that of a ‘wader’.

Reed Warbler

Slightly easier to see than most reedbed birds, the Reed Warbler is still quite an elusive bird, for most of the time. Males will sometimes sing in full view, however, when the song is a fast, rhythmic jumble of ‘churrs’ and ‘ tweets’ which can go on for several minutes. Reed Warblers are plain brown above and buff-white below.

Bittern

Notoriously difficult to see, these mid-sized, chunkylooking, streaky herons are beautifully camouflaged among the reeds. In spring, they usually only betray their presence by the males’ deep fog-horn like booming (and the occasional short flight).

Bearded Tit

One of our most exotic looking birds, the unique Bearded Tit is a handsome, golden brown little bird with a long tail and very short wings. Only males have the drooping black moustaches which give this bird its first name, contrasting with a powder blue head. These tit-like birds give away their presence with curious ‘ping ping’ like calls.

Reed Bunting

Male Reed Buntings are like handsome male House Sparrows, with black heads and black bibs. Females are more like streaky female House Sparrows. Males deliver their stuttering, simple, somewhat monotonous song on nice sunny May days. Unlike many other reedbed specialists, they also appear in other habitats, such as scrubby country.