Clamorous Reed Warbler - BirdForum Opus

Subspecies A. s. brunnescens aka Indian Reed Warbler
Photo by Alok Tewari
Basai Wetlands, Gurgaon, Haryana, India, 28 March 2016

Acrocephalus stentoreus

Includes Indian Reed Warbler

Identification

18-20 cm (7-7¾ in)

Brown back
Whitish underparts
Strong pointed bill

Sexes similar

Distribution

Subspecies A. s. harterti
Photo by Romy Ocon
Candaba Swamp, Pampanga, Philippines, 9 April 2005

Africa, the Middle East and Asia
Northern Africa: Egypt
Eastern Africa: Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia
Middle East: Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Iran
Asia: China, Nepal, Pakistan, India, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh
Southeast Asia: Indochina, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, Greater Sundas, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Lesser Sundas, Bali, Timor, Moluccas

Taxonomy

Subspecies

There are 9 subspecies^[1]:

A. s. stentoreus:

Egypt to Sinai Peninsula, Levant and Jordan

A. s. levantinus:

Northern Israel

A. s. brunnescens: (Indian Reed-Warbler)

Breeds from the Red Sea (Eritrea and North West Somalia) to Kazakhstan and North India. Winters to India (see also Movements below for fuller information ^[Movements]

A. s. amyae:

Plains of Brahmaputra River (Assam) to Myanmar and south-western China

A. s. meridionalis:

Sri Lanka

A. s. harterti:

Philippines (Luzon, Mindoro, Leyte, Bohol and Mindanao)

A. s. celebensis:

Southern Sulawesi

A. s. siebersi:

Western Java

A. s. lentecaptus:

South-eastern Borneo, Java and western Lesser Sundas (Lombok and Sumbawa)

Habitat

Large reed beds and bushes around lakes, ponds and along rivers.

Behaviour

Breeding

They construct a basket-like nest in the reeds. The clutch consists of 3-6 eggs.

Diet

Their diet consists almost entirely of insects, such as stoneflies, mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies.

Movements

Indian Reed Warbler (A.s. brunnescens) is the only race which has a migratory population, i.e all other races are sedentary. The ranges of the 2 populations of brunnescens are best listed separately as below:

Southern population (sedentary)
Red Sea coasts (Eritrea, North West Somalia and Saudi Arabia), the Persian Gulf (South Iran, Oman, UAE and eastern province of Saudi Arabia), coastal Arabian Sea in Pakistan (Sindh) and North India.

Northern population (migratory) Central Asia (North Iran and Turkmenistan north to South Kazakhstan, south to North Afghanistan and North Pakistan, including Uzbekistan and Tajikistan) winters to coastal South Iraq, South Iran and the Indian subcontinent.

Vocalisation

Recording by Alok Tewari
Dist. Gurgaon, India, March-2016
Calling from reed-bed in the wetlands now being drained.

References

Clements, J. F., P. C. Rasmussen, T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, T. A. Fredericks, J. A. Gerbracht, D. Lepage, A. Spencer, S. M. Billerman, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2023. The eBird/Clements checklist of Birds of the World: v2023. Downloaded from https://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
Avibase
Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive (retrieved August 2016)

List of references

Recommended Citation

BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Clamorous Reed Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 9 October 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/Clamorous_Reed_Warbler

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