General
Reed Warbler: Small, Robin-sized bird. Plain olive-brown upperparts with red-brown on rump, and buff-white underparts. Dark grey wings edged with olive-brown. Broken, buff eye ring and lores. Black line through eye. Bill dark grey above, orange-yellow below. Green-grey legs and feet. Sexes similar. Juveniles like adults but a bit more grey-brown on upperparts and paler buff to white on underparts.
Range and Habitat
Reed Warbler: Summer breeder in the UK & Ireland. Most commonly found in lowland areas in England and Wales, rarer elsewhere. Birds arrive in mid-spring and depart for tropical African winter grounds in autumn. Habitat is primarily reedbed wetlands, though they may also be found in scrub areas.
Breeding and Nesting
Reed Warbler: Monogamous. Nests mostly in reedbeds, also in bushes near water. Female builds nest basket. Both parents incubate the 3 to 5 speckled eggs and care for young, which fledge in 10 to 13 days. One to two clutches per breeding season. Commonly brood parasitized by the Cuckoo.
Foraging and Feeding
Reed Warbler: Is an insectivore that forages mainly at the middle height range in reed beds for spiders, insects and small snails. It will also eat berries in the autumn.
Vocalisation
Reed Warbler: Combination of rasping and "purring - kerr-kerr-kerr - kek-kek - churuc-churuc-churuc - tuk-tuk." Call is a soft "churr" or a harsh "tcharr."
Similar Species
Reed Warbler: Marsh Warbler is more olive-brown, lacks the warm red-brown tones of the Reed Warbler, and tends to be paler overall with sandy or buff tones on the sides of the head and neck.