Great Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus arundinaceus
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_reed_warbler
Overview
The great reed warbler is an insectivorous bird in the family Acrocephalidae. It is a medium-sized passerine bird and the largest of the European warblers. It breeds throughout mainland Europe and the Western Palearctic and migrates to sub-Saharan Africa in the winter.
It favours reed beds during the breeding season, while living in reed beds, bush thickets, rice fields, and forest clearings during the winter. It exhibits relatively low sexual dimorphism, and the sexes are similar in appearance. This species mates both polygynously and monogamously.
The Great Reed Warbler faces severe population declines primarily due to widespread destruction and degradation of wetland habitats across its breeding and wintering ranges. Agricultural intensification, urban development, and water management practices have eliminated crucial reed bed ecosystems, while climate change is altering precipitation patterns and water levels in remaining suitable habitats.
Habitat
clutch of eggs]] The great reed warbler breeds in Europe and the west Palearctic. It does not breed in Great Britain, where only the closely related, smaller common reed warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus occurs, but is an irregular visitor. Its population has in recent decades increased around the eastern Baltic Sea, while it has become rarer at the western end of its range. It is a migratory bird,...
Other threatened species in Acrocephalidae
Frequently asked questions
Why is Great Reed Warbler classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Great Reed Warbler live?
What are the main threats to Great Reed Warbler?
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