Acrocephalus arundinaceus is a widespread summer visitor to much of Europe, which accounts for less than half of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is very large (>1,500,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. Although the species declined in various countries during 1990-2000, trends in the east of its European range-including key populations in Russia, Ukraine and Romania-were stable, and the species probably declined only slightly overall.
Large and long strong-billed warbler with nondescript plumage typical of unstreaked Acrocephalus but at times bold behaviour. European and Mediterranean race, nominate, upperparts generally warm olive-brown, with crown slightly darker than mantle, rump and upper tail-coverts fawnier than back, and wing-coverts and inner flight-feathers slightly edged rufous. Face pattern with cream to buff supercilium from just behind bill to no more than half-way along ear-coverts, dusky eye-stripe, and brown lore and ear-coverts. Birds thus has strong, even stern expression. sexes rather similar, slight seasonal variation.

Breeds in middle latitudes of west Palearctic, in both cool and warm and arid and moist climates, mainly in temperate, steppe, and Mediterranean zones. In west, occurs mainly in lowland, even in some zones in Switzerland and USSR on mountain lakes up to 2000 m. Mostly concentrated in aquatic vegetation emerging from shallow standing water, fresh or brackish, especially in strong, tall, and dense reeds fringing banks or swamps, or islanded above the shallow bottoms of lakes or sluggish rivers.

Breeds mid March to mid June central and western Europe, early May in southern Europe. Nest site is dense stands of mostly reed in water. Preference for areas with thick reed stems. Nest attached to several stems. 3-6 eggs are laid, incubation 13-15 days, by female only.

Mainly insects, with some spiders, snails, and small vertebrates, some fruits and berries outside breeding season. Feeding techniques not as well studied as in other Acrocephalus. Composition of diet and visual observations suggest that most prey caught in short leaps as bird moves through vegetation, searching leaves and stems carefully. Mobile, flying prey caught by usinglong jumps or leaps, or flycatching techniques, akin to leap-catching and fly-catching.

This species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 10,000,000 km2. It has a large global population, including an estimated 2,900,000-5,700,000 individuals in Europe (BirdLife International in prep.). Global population trends have not been quantified, but the species is not believed to approach the thresholds for the population decline criterion of the IUCN Red List (i.e., declining more than 30% in ten years or three generations). For these reasons, the species is evaluated as Least Concern.

Locally common and widespread summer migrant of Eurasia, from continental Europe and southern Sweden across central Russia to western Siberia and western China, south through Mediterranean region and east to Turkey, Israel, Iran and Caucasus, mostly in lowlands but to 2000 m in Asian mountains. Winters in subtropical zones of Africa, south of the Sahara. (Baker K 1997) A.a. orientalis: Vagrant Austria (1; record considered questionable). Breeds Siberia, Soviet Far East, north Mongolia, north-eastern China, Korea, Japan; winters South-East Asia, Philippines, Indonesia. A.a. griseldis: Summer visitor lower Iraq; winters east tropical Africa. Scarce migrant Kuwait. Vagrant Germany. A.a. arundinaceus: Summer visitor throughout much of Europe (absent northern regions, UK Eire), European USSR, locally Turkey and Near East (may no longer breed Israel), north-west Africa; winters tropical Africa. Migrant Malta, Cyprus, Kuwait, north Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya. Vagrant Iceland, Faroe Is., Madeira, Azores. A. a. zarydnyi: Summer visitor north Iraq; winters tropical Africa. (Parmenter T Byers C 1991)

article number 1 Title
Antiparasite behaviour in response to experimental brood parasitism in the great reed warbler: a comparison of single and multiple parasitism
Author(s): Honza, M. & Moskát, C. 2005
Abstract: Rejection of parasitic eggs is one of the most important adaptations of avian hosts against brood parasites. Multiple brood parasitism is relatively rare in hosts of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus..[more]..
Source: Ann. Zool. Fennici 42: 627-633
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article number 2 Title
Potential food resources and nestling food in the Great Reed Warbler (AcrocephMus arundinaceus arundinaceus) and Eastern Great Reed Warbler ( A crocephalus arundinaceus orientalis)
Author(s): Andrzej Dyrcz and Heiner Flinks
Abstract: The main ecological difference between the Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus arundinaceus arundinaceus) and Eastern Great Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus acrocephalus orientalis) lies in the density of bree..[more]..
Source: J. Ornithol. 141,351-360 (2000)
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article number 3 Title
Habitat selection of two Acrocephalus warblers breeding in reed beds near Malacky (Western Slovakia).
Author(s): Jarmila Prokesova & Ludovit Kocian
Abstract: The study was carried out in 1999 and 2000 at three sites near Malacky, W Slovakia: Jakubovské rybníky ?shponds, Jakubovské strkovisko gravel pit and Vojenské rybníky ?shponds. The aim of our resear..[more]..
Source: Biologia, Bratislava 2004, 59: 637-644
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article number 4 Title
Reed die-back, water level management and the decline of the Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus in The Netherlands.
Author(s): Graveland J.
Abstract: Several species of migratory marsh birds have declined in Central and Western Europe. An important question is whether this decline is primarily caused by loss of wetlands on the wintering grounds in ..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 86 (2): 187-201
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