Acrocephalus baeticatus

As its name suggests the African Reed Warbler is a small (∼10g in weight, ∼13cm in length) insectivorous bird closely associated with reedbeds and wetlands and even garden ponds, farm dams, sewage works and sugar-cane fields.

African Reed Warblers are monogamous and territorial and breed during spring and summer. Their nest is a cup-shaped construction of grass and reed leaves attached to emergent vegetation or willow twigs drooping over the water. Both parents incubate the clutch of 2 or 3 eggs for about a fortnight, with the chicks leaving the nest when they’re around two weeks old.

African Reed Warblers are found at suitable habitat throughout South Africa throughout the year and over much of Sub-Saharan Africa and Arabia as well. The IUCN considers the African Reed Warbler to be a subspecies of the Common Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus scirpaceus) which is also found in Europe and parts of Asia and which it lists as being of least concern.

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler

African Reed Warbler (photo by Joubert)