Oriental Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus orientalis
In breeding range, this large, long-billed songster of expansive reedbeds can often be seen perched on top of a stalk belting its heart out, but on wintering grounds, it is more likely to be detected by a harsh, grating rattling from deep within the vegetation. Unremarkably plumaged, brown above, paler below, with a weak white supercilium and a short bristly crest, occasionally raised. Compare with other large reed warblers, especially Clamorous Reed Warbler.
Identification
It is a large warbler, 18–20 cm long with a wingspan of 23–26 cm. The plumage is brown above with a paler rump and whitish tips to the tail feathers. The underparts are whitish below, browner on the flanks and undertail-coverts. There are narrow greyish streaks on the throat and breast. It has a dark eyestripe and a whitish stripe above the eye. The fairly long, heavy bill is brownish above and pink below with a bright orange gape. The feet are grey.<p>It is slightly smaller, slenderer and shorter-winged than the great reed warbler. Its tail is shorter and more square-ended than that of the clamorous reed warbler (A. stentoreus) and it has a slightly longer primary projection and a slightly shorter and thicker bill. The pale tip to the tail separates it from both species.<p>The song is a mixture of warbling phrases and guttural, croaking notes. It is given from a prominent perch such as the top of a reed stem or bush. The bird also has a loud, harsh chack call.
Taxonomy
- Scientific name
- Acrocephalus orientalis
- Authority
- (Temminck & Schlegel, 1847)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Acrocephalidae
- Genus
- Acrocephalus
Range and habitat
The breeding range covers southern Siberia, Mongolia, northern, central and eastern China, Korea and Japan. It winters in north-east India and across South-east Asia to the Philippines and Indonesia, occasionally reaching New Guinea and Australia. It has occurred as a vagrant in Israel and Kuwait. It breeds mainly in reedbeds and can also be found in marshes, paddy fields, grassland and scrub where it forages for insects and other invertebrates.
- Breeding range
- PAL : c Mongolia and se Russia s to n, e China, the Korean Pen. and Japan
- Non-breeding range
- to se Asia, Philippines and Indonesian Arch.
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- declining
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
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