Birds · Passeriformes · Acrocephalidae

Eurasian Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus scirpaceus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

A brown bird without striking markings, with a small head in relation to its long, sharp bill, cream underparts and a reddish-brown rump. It lacks the supercilium and head stripes of other reed warblers. Almost impossible to see among the reeds, but very easy to hear.

Weight

12 g – 15 g

Size

13 cm on average

Lifespan

5 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Diurnal

Active mainly during the day.

Social structure

In pairs

Usually lives in pairs, sometimes for life.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Estimated population

The European population is estimated at some 4 million pairs, more than half a million of them in Sweden

Insectivore Diurnal In pairs Bird

46countries 183parks

Fun facts

It is one of the commonest hosts of the common cuckoo, even though its nest is ridiculously small to hold a chick of that size.
It shows extreme fidelity to the place where it was born or bred: year after year it is found occupying exactly the same patch of reeds.
The nest hangs suspended from green stems over shallow water, a structure built by the female alone.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bird)
Habitat & environment: Mature reedbeds on the shores of lakes, rivers, canals and marshes, and adjacent marsh vegetation such as willows and osier beds. It occupies above all the valleys of the great rivers and the Mediterranean and south-Atlantic coasts, up to around 1,000 m
Gestation / incubation: About 12 days, with both parents taking turns at the incubation
Litter / clutch size: 4-5 greenish white eggs with grey markings, in a deep cup-shaped nest slung between several reed stems over the water

Sources consulted: SEO/BirdLife (ficha y III Atlas de las aves en época de reproducción en España); IUCN Red List; Asturnatura; Gainzarain 2022, III Atlas; Jiménez et al. 2018, Ardeola 65; Arizaga, Unamuno y Laso 2020, Munibe 68