Great reed warbler

Acrocephalus arundinaceus

A large reed warbler with a strong voice, long body, and stout bill, often singing from reed stems.

Key facts

Great reed warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) is a carnivore animal classified as Bird · Passeriformes · Acrocephalidae.
Primary habitats are freshwater · grassland, with a range across Palearctic · Afrotropical · Indomalayan.
Activity is diurnal, sociality is solitary, and conservation status is LC (Least Concern).
A large reed warbler with a strong voice, long body, and stout bill, often singing from reed stems.
Breeds in reedbeds along lakes, rivers, marshes, and canals; migrants also use scrub, rice fields, and wet woodland edges.

Habitat range map

Native rangeOccasional / Transient

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Breeds in reedbeds along lakes, rivers, marshes, and canals; migrants also use scrub, rice fields, and wet woodland edges.

Brown upperparts, pale underparts, and a pale eyebrow mark are typical. It is large and heavy-billed for a reed warbler.

Males sing loud, harsh phrases from tall reed stems and move vertically while gripping reeds.

Insects, spiders, small crustaceans, and larvae are taken within waterside vegetation.

Deep cup nests are woven onto reed stems, with breeding success tied to water level and reedbed condition.

A widespread migrant, it is affected locally by reed cutting schedules and wetland alteration.