- Lifespan
- 3–5 years in the wild
- Size & Weight
- 12–13 cm, wingspan 17–19 cm; 12–18 g
- Habitat
- Reed beds, sedge beds, and wetland margins with dense vegetation, particularly in lowland areas near water.
- UK Distribution
- Summer breeding visitor to the UK, arriving April–May and departing August–September; breeds throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.
- Diet
- Primarily small insects and invertebrates including flies, gnats, small beetles, spiders, and larvae, with some berries in late summer.
- Prey
- Small dipterans, small coleopterans, spiders, aphids, and insect larvae
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, hobbies, and other small raptors; corvids and larger gulls may take eggs and chicks; stoats and rats raid nests.
- Mating Season
- April to July
- Breeding
- Clutch of 4–5 eggs, incubation period 10–11 days, fledging period 12–14 days; typically one brood per season, occasionally two.
- Behaviour
- A skulking, elusive warbler that spends most time hidden in dense vegetation, often climbing stems vertically. Males are highly vocal and territorial, delivering loud, churring songs from exposed perches during dawn chorus. Solitary and territorial during breeding season; sociable during migration.