Conservation status: Amber
Sparrow-sized but slim and with a long, deeply notched tail, the male has a black head, white collar and a drooping moustache. Females and winter males have a streaked head. In flight the tail looks black with broad, white edges.
Latin name
Emberiza schoeniclus
Family
Buntings (Emberizidae)
Where to see them
Predominantly a farmland and wetland bird. Typically found in wet vegetation but has recently spread into farmland and, in winter, into gardens. When singing the male usually perched on top of a bush, or reed.
When to see them
All year round.
What they eat
Seeds and insects
Population
| Europe | UK breeding* | UK wintering* | UK passage* | | - | 192,000-211,000 territories | - | - |