Reed Bunting

Emberiza schoeniclus

(E. s. caspia, E. s. schoeniclus, E. s. ukrainae )

Armenian Name:	Եղեգնուտի դրախտապան

See Plate 54 for Reed Bunting and other similar species

Resident Status:	Year-round resident
Abundance:	Common
Length:	15-16.5 cm, Wing Span:21-28 cm
Distribution Map:	Map 312.
Adult (Breeding):	Male has black head and bib, white mustache and collar. Female has pale brown-yellow supercilium, white mustache, black border to brown ear coverts, streaked brown crown, and dark malar stripe.
Adult (Non-breeding):	Both sexes like breeding female but paler overall.
Similar Species:	Differs from other buntings by head pattern and white belly.
Behavior:	Often forms flocks in winter.
Habitat:	Marshes; riverside willow thickets.
Food:	Invertebrates, plant matter.
Nest:	Cup of sedges and grasses on ground or on side of tussock.
Eggs:	20 mm, 4-5, gray, dark spots.