Field Guide
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Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Not yet photographed by the community
Chattering summer visitor of reed beds.
Species Profile
Amber List (due to population declines linked to wetland loss and climate impacts)
- Lifespan
- 5–8 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 cm, wingspan 17–19 cm; 9–14 g
- Habitat
- Reed beds and wetland habitats with dense reed growth, particularly in lowland areas near freshwater lakes, rivers, and marshes.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeding visitor to southern and central England, Wales, and southern Scotland; arrives April–May and departs August–September. Rare or absent from northern Scotland.
- Diet
- Primarily small insects and invertebrates including aphids, flies, small beetles, and spiders; occasionally takes small caterpillars and other arthropods.
- Prey
- Small insects and spiders; not a significant predator
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, hobbies, stoats, foxes, corvids (crows and jays), and water voles; eggs and chicks also taken by cuckoos (brood parasites)
- Mating Season
- April to August
- Breeding
- Clutch size 3–5 eggs, incubation period 11–12 days, fledging at 10–11 days. Typically one brood per season, occasionally two.
- Behaviour
- Highly vocal, particularly males, with a distinctive loud and varied song used to defend territory and attract mates. Skulking and elusive by nature, usually remaining hidden within dense reed beds. Males construct multiple 'dummy' nests woven between reed stems to display to females.
- •Reed Warblers weave their nests intricately between reed stems, securing them with spider silk and plant down to prevent them from falling if reeds sway in wind.
- •The species is a frequent victim of the Common Cuckoo, which parasitises their nests; Reed Warblers have poor ability to recognise cuckoo eggs and chicks.
- •Males arrive at breeding grounds before females and establish territories through vigorous song; they may sing over 2,000 times per day during peak breeding season.
- •Despite their small size, Reed Warblers undertake a remarkable autumn migration to sub-Saharan Africa, with some individuals flying over 5,000 km.
- •Reed Warblers have shown significant population declines in the UK since the 1990s, primarily due to habitat loss from wetland drainage and reed bed management changes.
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