Wildlife Watch - Reed Bed Birds

Three common birds frequent the reed beds of Britain. You’ll need to look, and listen, to shoot them properly.

- Paul Hobson

THREE birds are characteristic of reed beds in spring and summer. The reed warbler is mainly centred in the south and east of the UK, but is largely absent from Scotland. Sedge warblers and reed buntings are far more widely distributed. All three are initially easier to recognise and find by their songs, so it pays to learn them before you set out.

Habitat

Reed beds were once one of our most endangered habitats, drained for hundreds of years and reduced to wildlife-poor farmland. Luckily, active creation and extension of reed beds is a high priority for many conservation groups. Most large reed beds are in lowland areas and are often well-known nature reserves, so finding them is not difficult.

All three are insect feeders and similarly sized, roughly the size of a sparrow. The warblers are sleek bodied and brownish, with the sedge warbler having a distinctive pale eye stripe. Reed buntings are dumpier and eat seeds as well as insects. The males have a black bib, while the females are more streaky brown in plumage.

Shooting advice

Be patient