General Overview
The reedling (commonly called the bearded reedling or bearded tit), Panurus biarmicus, is a small, highly specialized reed-bed passerine and the sole living member of the family Panuridae. It is resident across suitable reed habitats in temperate Eurasia and is especially associated with extensive stands of common reed (Phragmites).
Appearance
Reedlings are small (≈16 cm) long-tailed songbirds with strong sexual dimorphism. Males have a grey head, warm orange-brown body, a long tail, and distinctive black “moustache” or “beard” markings on the face; females are duller and lack the black facial stripes. Both sexes show a long, graduated tail and a compact, rounded body adapted for moving among reed stems.
Diet
They feed mainly on reed-bed invertebrates (insects and their larvae) during the breeding season, switching in autumn and winter to seeds from reeds and other wetland plants; this dietary flexibility helps them survive in reedbeds year-round.
Habitat
Reedlings are specialists of dense reedbeds—fresh and brackish marshes with mature stands of common reed. They prefer large, continuous reedbeds (often near water) and are sensitive to reedbed loss or fragmentation. Though largely resident, local movements can occur if reedbeds deteriorate or in severe weather.
Behavior
Highly social and often seen in family groups or small flocks, reedlings have a bouncy, acrobatic way of clinging and hopping among reed stems. They form long-term pairs and show strong site fidelity to reedbeds. Breeding pairs build nests among the reeds; clutch sizes can be relatively large and multiple broods are possible in good seasons. Their calls are distinctive, and they may forage in groups, especially in winter when seeds dominate the diet.
