- Acrocephalus agricola
Identification
12–14 cm (4¾-5½ in)
- Plumage varies through the season from rusty to palish-buff unstreaked upperparts
- Whitish underparts
- Whitish supercilium
- Short bill, with yellowish lower mandible
- Long tail
Sexes similar
Similar Species
Common Reed Warbler which has longer wings and shorter tail, and less marked supercillium.
Distribution
Breeds in central Eurasia; winters in southern Asia
Rare, but regular vagrant to western Europe
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1][3][4].
Habitat
Low dense vegetation such as long grass, reeds and rice, besides lakes and marshes
Behaviour
Action
Flicks and cocks the tail.
Breeding
Nests low in reeds. Their clutch contains 4-5 eggs. There may be a second brood.
Diet
Gleans insects such as mayflies, dragonflies, bugs, cicadids and caddis flies from reeds and also in tree canopy.
Vocalisation
Calls and song less harsh than Marsh Warbler.
Call: chek and zak
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, D. Roberson, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2018. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: v2018. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Avibase
- Hering, J., Flade, M. & Wink, M. (2015): Records of Paddyfield Warbler Acrocephalus agricola in Turkey and evidence for a monotypic taxon. Sandgrouse 37(2): 130–136.
- Birdforum thread discussing taxonomy of this species
- Collins Field Guide 5th Edition
- Collins Bird Guide ISBN 0 00 219728 6
- Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved May 2019)
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2025) Paddyfield Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 11 May 2025 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Paddyfield_Warbler
