Sedge Warbler - Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Description

The Sedge Warbler is a small, quite plump, warbler with a striking broad creamy stripe above its eye. It is brown above with blackish streaks and creamy white underneath. It is a summer visitor, and winters in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Its song is a noisy, rambling warble compared to the more rhythmic song of the Reed Warbler.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Found across the UK. A good place to see this bird is near a reed bed or a damp wetland, particularly near dawn and dusk when Sedge Warblers are most active. Look for singing birds perched on the outside of a bush.

When to see it

Mid-April to mid-October.

Life History

The nest, built by the female, is in vegetation on the ground or up to a height of 50 cm. The cup-shaped structure is woven around vertical plant stems and has an outer layer of grass, stems and leaves, plus spiders' webs, with a thick, finer layer inside including reed flowers, animal hair and plant down. It feeds mainly on small insects but they will also take berries.

UK Status

Fairly common and widespread in Britain.

VC55 Status

Quite common as a summer bird and breeding bird in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2020+ | 2015-2019 | pre-2015

UK Map

Species profile

Common names
Sedge Warbler
Species group:
Birds
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Passeriformes
Family:
Acrocephalidae
Records on NatureSpot:
331
First record:
22/04/2006 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
04/09/2023 (Messenger, Nigel)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

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