- Lifespan
- 3–5 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 13–14 cm, wingspan 16–18 cm; 12–18 g
- Habitat
- Dense reedbeds, scrub, and wetland vegetation with tall reeds and willows.
- UK Distribution
- Increasingly resident in southern England, particularly around the south coast and Thames estuary, with small populations expanding northward; previously a rare vagrant but now breeding regularly.
- Diet
- Primarily small insects and invertebrates including flies, small beetles, and spiders; occasionally takes small lizards and nestlings.
- Prey
- Small insects, spiders, and invertebrates; occasionally small reptiles and nestlings
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, Eurasian Kestrels, Marsh Harriers, and corvids; eggs and chicks also predated by rats and foxes.
- Mating Season
- April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4–5 eggs, incubation period 15–16 days, fledging at 13–14 days; typically one or two broods per season.
- Behaviour
- Highly secretive and skulking, remaining hidden in dense vegetation; males are renowned for their loud, explosive song delivered from concealment, particularly in spring. Mostly sedentary in the UK, though northern birds may migrate short distances in harsh winters.