Reed warblers · Perching birds
Blyth's Reed Warbler
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Acrocephalus dumetorum
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Voice
Song
Jochem Verweij
Song
Robert Petersen
Song
Robert Petersen
How to recognize it
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12–14 cm, slim, with a long bill and short rounded wings
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Plain olive-brown upperparts, off-white to olive-buff underparts
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Short whitish supercilium, dusky stripe through the eye
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Song with harsh ticks, chaks and churrs mixed with mimicry
About the species
Blyth's Reed Warbler keeps a plain look, with olive-brown upperparts and pale underparts. Its voice is a better clue than its plumage, especially when it mixes harsh ticks and churrs with softer whistles and bits of mimicry.
It is solitary and territorial, and often stays hidden in cover while it sings. Males may sing at night, and the song can carry a slower, more measured imitation of other voices.
Look for it along damp woodland edges, clearings, scrub, parks, and gardens with thick growth. It feeds mainly on insects and breeds across a wide belt of Eurasia, then spends the winter in South Asia.
Where to find
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Along bushy riverbanks — it gives itself away with a quiet but scratchy song from the top of a shrub.
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At the edges of mature deciduous parks and in young woodland plantings — it stays in dense undergrowth and may sing without showing itself.
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Near damp gullies and green ravines with thickets — look for short darting moves between branches and grass.
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In gardens and courtyards with thick hedges — more often heard than seen, especially on a still evening.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Acrocephalus dumetorum Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Blyth's reed warbler Encyclopedia article