Acrocephalus scirpaceus is a widespread summer visitor to much of Europe, which constitutes >50% of its global breeding range. Its European breeding population is very large (>2,700,000 pairs), and was stable between 1970-1990. The species remained stable overall during 1990-2000, with the majority of national trends stable or increasing-including sizeable populations in Romania and Sweden.

Breeds in middle latitudes of west Palearctic, mainly in lowlands with continental climate. Spreads into oceanic climatic zone in western France, England and Wales. Stands of reeds used for nesting may be quite small, often by margins of sluggish rivers, ponds, or shallow lakes, or in narrow lines along ditches. Broader reedbeds in fresh or brackish waters tend to be less favoured, especially if dense and exposed to waves.

Breeds late May mid August in western and central Europe. Nest site is built in vegetation over water, especially reed, also in other tall vegetation and low shrubs over dry ground. Nest is a deep, cylindrical cup of grass and reed stems and leaves, plus plant down and spiders' webs, woven round plant stems, lined with finer material including hair. 3-5 eggs are laid, incubation 9-13 days, by both sexes in roughly equal proportions during day.

Chiefly insects and spiders, some small snails, occasionally some plant material. An opportunist, able to tame advantage of local, variable, and short-lived sources of abundant food supply. Feeds mostly at middle height in reeds and rushes and in centers of bushes, and occasionally on ground.

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 5,300,000-10,000,000 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.

Common and widespread summer migrant of western Palearctic, from central and southern British Isles and southern Scandinavia east across central Russia, and south to Northwest Africa, Mediterranean region, Near East, southern Russia, and western China. Winters in tropical Africa. (Baker K 1997) A.s. scirpaceus: Summer visitor much of Europe (absent northern regions; more local in south), west, central and south European USSR, locally north-west Africa; winters tropical Africa. Migrant Libya, Chad, Mauritania. Vagrant Iceland, Faroe Is. (6), Canary Is., Madeira. A.s. fuscus: Local summer visitor Transcaucasus, Caspian shore, east Turkey, Cyprus, south-west Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, north-east Egypt; winters tropical Africa. Recorded in winter (sub-species uncertain) Turkey, Jordan, Egypt. Migrant (sub-species uncertain) Iraq, Kuwait, north Saudi Arabia. (Parmenter T Byers C 1991)

article number 1 Title
Intraspecific variation in the wing shape of the long-distance migrant Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus: effects of age and distance of migration
Author(s): García Peiró, I.
Abstract: The wing morphology of Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus was studied during the breeding and non-breeding cycle in a western Mediterranean area. Wing morphology was first analysed by means of a pr..[more]..
Source: Ardeola 50(1), 2003, 31-37
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article number 2 Title
Broedprestaties van Kleine Karekieten in 2004
Author(s): Fred Hustings
Abstract: Broedprestaties van Kleine Karekieten in de wisselvallige zomer van 2004..[more]..
Source: Limosa 78: 39-42
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article number 3 Title
Gap crossing decisions by reed warblers (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) in agricultural landscapes
Author(s): L. Bosschieter and P.W. Goedhart
Abstract: To meet the need for research on the requirements for corridors for marshland birds, this study set out to quantify gap crossing decisions made by reed warblers moving through the landscape. In three..[more]..
Source: Landscape Ecology (2005) 20: 455-468
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article number 4 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 5 Title
Migration routes of North European Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Author(s): Thord Fransson & Bengt-Olov Stolt
Abstract: Migration routes of expanding North European Reed Warbler populations were investigated by means of more than 2500 recoveries of birds ringed in Norway, Sweden and Finland. We found different autumn d..[more]..
Source: ORNIS SVECICA 15: 153-160, 2005
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article number 6 Title
Stabilising selection on wing length in reed warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus
Author(s): K. Susanna S. Hall, Hans Ryttman, Thord Fransson and Bengt-Olov Stolt
Abstract: The size of an animal is of utmost importance for its overall success and each species is thought to have its own optimal size. If this is true, size traits ought to be under stabilising selection unl..[more]..
Source: JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY 35: 7 -/12, 2004
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article number 7 Title
Movement patterns of European Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus and Sedge Warblers A. schoenobaenus before and during autumn migration.
Author(s): Chernetsov N. & Titov N.
Abstract: The foraging movements of European Reed Warblers Acrocephalus scirpaceus and Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus at migratory stopover sites were studied by comparing the frequency distribution ..[more]..
Source: ARDEA 89 (3): 509-515
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