Bearded Reedling

Listen first for its distinctive pinging calls carrying across reed beds, then look low among the reed stems for a long-tailed bird with a tawny body and, in males, a striking black moustache-like face marking. It is a reed bed specialist, feeding on insects among the stems in summer and switching to reed seeds in winter, when small flocks can sometimes be seen clinging to swaying stalks or briefly perching in the open as they move between clumps. Calm, still winter mornings are often the best conditions, since wind keeps the reeds in constant motion and makes birds harder to pick out.