A richly coloured bunting with much rufous-brown, cream, and black and a broadly white-sided tail.

Breeding male unmistakable, but juveniles and females are sufficiently like several scarcer species to raise hopes of a more exciting find. Like other common buntings and finches, they are sometimes treated as the haystacks in which rarer needles might be discovered. They like mixed fen, with sedges, irises, reedmace, and purple loosestrife mixed with reeds; willows beside rivers and flooded gravel pits, are also acceptable habitats. In winter Reed Buntings remain close to wet places for the most part, but often feed in what stubbles they can find.