- Acrocephalus vaughani
Identification
17cm. A large reed warbler with a short bill. The only reed warbler on Pitcairn.
- Pale supercilium and dark eyestripe
- Olive cheek with lighter feather edgings
- Dark olive-brown neck side and upperparts
- Very broad cream-buff tips on rump
- Predominantly white upperwing
- Variable tail (fuscous or with white tips or even entirely albinistic)
- Yellow throat to belly, cream-buff undertail-coverts
Sexes similar. Juveniles are more reddish-brown above and cinnamon below without white patches.
Distribution
Endemic to Pitcairn in the South Pacific.
A restricted-range species with a total range of c. 5 km². Threatened by introduced black rats.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species.
Habitat
Found in patches of tall forest, less commonly in scrubland and around villages. Avoids open ground and cliffs.
Behaviour
Diet
Feeds on insects.
Forages in bushes and trees, sometimes on the ground.
Breeding
Breeding season August to January. A territorial species, sometimes breeds in groups. The nest is a deep cup made of grass and banana fibres. It's placed 0.5 to 12m above the ground in a tree. Lays 2 eggs.
Movements
A sedentary species.
References
- Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, B.L. Sullivan, C. L. Wood, and D. Roberson. 2013. The eBird/Clements checklist of birds of the world: Version 6.8., with updates to August 2013. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
- Del Hoyo, J, A Elliot, and D Christie, eds. 2006. Handbook of the Birds of the World. Volume 11: Old World Flycatchers to Old World Warblers. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions. ISBN 978-8496553064
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Pitcairn Reed Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 26 April 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Pitcairn_Reed_Warbler
