reedling, (species Panurus biarmicus), songbird often placed in the family Panuridae (order Passeriformes) but also sometimes classified with the Sylviidae or Timaliidae. It lives in reedy marshes from England to eastern Asia. About 16 cm (6.5 inches) long, the male wears subtle reddish, yellowish, and gray colours and has black moustaches, which are erectile (hence, “bearded”); the female is duller and lacks the black. The bill is small—quite different from those of the related parrotbills.