Reed warblers · Perching birds
Great Reed Warbler
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Acrocephalus arundinaceus
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Voice
Song
Robert Petersen
Song
Klaus-Jürgen Papke
Song
Sonothèque ADVL
How to recognize it
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19 cm, larger than most reed warblers
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Plain brown upperparts, pale buff-white underparts
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Strong bill, faint pale supercilium
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In reeds climbs and hops nimbly; loud song "carr-carr-cree-cree-cree-jet-jet"
About the species
Long songs carry from the reeds, and the great reed warbler uses them to hold a territory or draw a mate. Shorter songs are used in disputes with rival males, while pairs may be monogamous or the male may mate with more than one female.
It climbs through reed stems and hops there with ease, using a strong bill to pick prey from cover. Its song has a harsh, rattling pattern, often given as "kaare-kaare-kriit-kriit". The sexes look alike, so the voice is often the clearest clue that one is nearby.
Look for it in dense reed beds and bushes along lakes, ponds, marshes, and rivers. It eats insects and larvae, spiders, molluscs, young amphibians, and berries. In Europe it is present from April to September, and it winters in tropical and southern Africa.
Where to find
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Along reed-choked canal banks and pond edges — the male is easiest to notice by a loud, carry-far song from deep cover.
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On quiet lake shores and river margins with bushes at the waterline — it stays in dense greenery and climbs between reed stems.
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In marshy city parks and low wet corners with tall reeds — look where the vegetation forms a solid wall above the water.
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Near reed beds by footbridges and waterfront paths — it often gives itself away by long, rasping song without leaving cover.
You might also see
Sources
- eBird — Acrocephalus arundinaceus Sightings map and full description on eBird
- Wikipedia — Great reed warbler Encyclopedia article