Includes Eurasian Reed Warbler, African Reed Warbler
- Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Identification
![](/wiki/images/thumb/6/61/1024rw6P2083267.jpg/350px-1024rw6P2083267.jpg)
Photo © by CollinBax
Cape Town, South Africa, February 2011
12.5cm (5 in)
Brown with a rusty tinge. Paler underparts with a whitish throat. Thin brownish bill. Legs dark brown.
Juvenile is very similar to the adult but rather brighter with tawny-orange tints to upperparts. Legs flesh-coloured.
Similar Species
Marsh Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler
Distribution
Europe,western Asia, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.
Taxonomy
The first four subspecies used to be in Eurasian Reed Warbler while the last six subspecies were considered another full species, African Reed Warbler.
Subspecies
Four subspecies are recognized[1]:
- A. s. scirpaceus:
- A. s. fuscus:
- East Mediterranean and Caspian to Kazakhstan; winters to southern Africa
- A. s. avicenniae:
- A. s. ammon:
- A. s. ambiguus:
- Breeds northwestern Africa (Morocco to Tunisia) and southwestern Europe (Iberian Peninsula); Moroccan population at least partially resident, otherwise nonbreeding range poorly known but winters from Mauritania east at least to Côte d'Ivoire, and probably to farther east
- A. s. guiersi:
- Northern Senegal
- A. s. cinnamomeus:
- Senegal east to South Sudan, Ethiopia, and southern Somalia, south to eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, eastern Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique
- A. s. hallae:
- Southwestern Angola south to western Botswana and western South Africa
- A. s. suahelicus:
- Coastal Tanzania to eastern Mozambique and northeastern South Africa (KwaZulu-Natal)
- A. s. baeticatus:
- Eastern Botswana and Zimbabwe to southern and southeastern South Africa
Habitat
Reedbeds and some bushes.
Behaviour
Diet
The diet includes mainly insects, though some berries are taken.
Breeding
A monogamous species.
They build a basket-like nest in reeds. The clutch consists of 3-5 eggs, which are pale greenish-white with dark specks or splotches. The young fledge after 10 or 11 days.
It is brood parasitised by the Common Cuckoo.
Vocalisation
Thread with links to both Reed Warbler and Sedge Warbler songs for comparison
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2022. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2022. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Gill, F, D Donsker, and P Rasmussen (Eds). 2023. IOC World Bird List (v 13.2). Doi 10.14344/IOC.ML.13.2. http://www.worldbirdnames.org/
- Collins Pocket Guide to British Birds 1966
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
- Birdforum thread discussing Moroccan Reed Warblers
- The Observers Book of Birds' Eggs
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Common Reed Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 1 September 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Common_Reed_Warbler
External Links
Reed Warbler Identification Thread
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