Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) [XC731790]
by Dag \u00d6sterlund from Obbola, Ume\u00e5, V\u00e4sterbottens l\u00e4n, Spain (song)
Eurasian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) [XC721985]
by Albert Noorlander from Lexmond, Vijfheerenlanden, Utrecht, Spain (song)
Nest
A deep cup of grass and flower heads, woven around several reed stems.
Eggs (Guide)
4; pale green, blotched and speckled olive, usually at the larger end.
Subspecies
Eurasian Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) and African Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus baeticatus) (Sibley and Monroe 1990, 1993) have been lumped into Acrocephalus scirpaceus following Dowsett and Forbes-Watson (1993).
Belongs to a probably monophyletic group of small plain-coloured species that also includes African Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus baeticatus), Blyth's Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus dumetorum) and Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris), along with the closely related Paddyfield Warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) superspecies (comprising also White-browed Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus tangorum) and Blunt-winged Warbler (Acrocephalus concinens)). Has been considered conspecific with African Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus baeticatus), but generally regarded as distinct because of different migratory behaviour and associated wing structure. Genetic studies suggest that subspecies avicenniae of African Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus baeticatus) should perhaps be placed within present species. Subspecies fuscus possibly a separate species. Two cases of hybrids with Great Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus) recently reported from Germany and Belgium. Has hybridized with Marsh Warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) in England.
The following 4 subspecies are recognised:
scirpaceus (Hermann, 1804) - Breeds Europe east to western Russia, Ukraine, Crimea, lower R Kuban and western Asia Minor, also north-western Africa. Non-breeding sub-Saharan Africa.
fuscus (Hemprich & Ehrenberg, 1833) - Breeds eastern Asia Minor, Cyprus and Levant, and from northern Caspian area east to south-eastern Kazakhstan and extreme north-western China (western Xinjiang), south to north-west, central and eastern Iran and north-western Afghanistan. Non-breedin. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Caspian Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus fuscus).
avicenniae Ash, Pearson, DJ, Nikolaus & Colston, 1989 - Mangroves of coastal Sudan, Eritrea, Somalia and western Arabia. Considered by some authors to be a distinct species, Mangrove Reed-Warbler (Acrocephalus avicenniae).
ammon Hering, Winkler & Steinheimer, 2016 - Libyan Desert depressions on the Libya/Egypt border (oases of Qattara, Siwa, Sitra, and Al Jaghbub).
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BirdLife International Species Factsheet