Page 328 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WARBLERS AND ALLIES
Order Passeriformes Family Sylviidae Species Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Great Reed Warbler

big, thick,
dark-tipped
bill
long, pale buff stripe
broad from bill to plain warm
tail above eye brown above
dark eye-
stripe white
throat
bright
rump
pale rufous-buff
underside
IN FLIGHT

long wingtips

broad, slightly
rounded, dark
FLIGHT: low, dashing, thrush-like darts between brown tail
reed clumps.
ndeed a massive reed warbler, this large, almost thrush-sized
Iwarbler typically inhabits reedbeds, but can be found in remarkably
small wet spots near rivers or even along ditches and irrigation channels, with
just small strips or patches of reed and tall grass. It appears regularly, in very
small numbers, north of its usual range, individuals sometimes remaining for a
week or two, singing strongly.The song is immediately distinctive: loud and
raucous, with a hesitant, frog-like quality.
VOICE Call rolling, harsh krrrrr or shorter tshak; song remarkably loud, hesitant
or full-flowing but repetitive, separate phrases alternately croaking, whistling,
warbling, grik grik grik, jeek jeek chik grrr grrr grrr girik girik girik.
NESTING Large, deep nest slung in vertical reed stems above water; 3–6 eggs; BOLD SONGSTER
1 or 2 broods; May–August. From the top of giant reeds, Giant Reed
FEEDING Takes insects and varied invertebrates from foliage and reeds, crashing Warblers create a loud and unmistakable
through stems in search of food. chorus of raucous song.
SIMILAR SPECIES OCCURRENCE
Breeds in mainland Europe north
much SONG THRUSH to S Scandinavia; local summer
smaller see p.307
visitor. In reedbeds and reedy
ditches or strips of reed beside
rivers or floods. Present from May
to August, when migrants some-
clear times appear north of usual range.
spots
REED WARBLER below Seen in the UK
see p.324 JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 16–20cm (6 1 ⁄2 –8in) Wingspan 25–26cm (10in) Weight 30–40g (1 1 ⁄16 –1 7 ⁄16oz)
Social Solitary Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure†
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