Reedbeds are wetlands dominated by stands of the common reed Phragmites australis. The water table in a reedbed is at or above ground level for most of the year. They tend to incorporate areas of open water and ditches, and small areas of wet grassland and sometimes an area of wet woodland may be associated with them.

There are now only about 5000 hectares of reedbeds in the UK, but of the 900 or so sites contributing to this total, only about 50 are greater than 20 hectares, and these make a large contribution to the total area. A larger area has more chance of sustaining wildlife.

Although reedbeds are widely distributed, they are by no means common. Intensive drainage and the decline of traditional management, caused by many things, led to an estimated loss of between 10 and 40 per cent of the UK reedbeds between 1945 and 1990.