Marsh warbler

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Marsh warbler
Acrocephalus palustris (Marek Szczepanek)b.jpg
Recorded in Worcestershire, England
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Passeriformes
Family: Acrocephalidae
Genus: Acrocephalus
Species:
A. palustris
Binomial name
Acrocephalus palustris
(Bechstein, 1798)
Acrocephalus palustris distribution map.png
  Breeding
  Passage
  Nonbreeding

The marsh warbler (Acrocephalus palustris) is an Old World warbler currently classified in the family Acrocephalidae. It breeds in temperate Europe and the western Palearctic and winters mainly in southeast Africa. It is notable for incorporating striking imitations of a wide variety of other birds into its song.

Contents

The marsh warbler breeds in a variety of mostly damp habitats, but in Africa winters mainly in dry, well-vegetated areas. It is common over much of its breeding range and expanding its distribution in some areas. However, in Britain it is now virtually extinct as a breeding bird, [2] though the reasons for its decline are unclear. This insectivorous warbler can be easily confused with several close relatives, but the imitative song of the male is highly distinctive.

Taxonomy

The marsh warbler was formally described in 1798 by the German naturalist Johann Matthäus Bechstein under the scientific name Motacilla s. Sylvia palustris. [3] The type locality is Germany. [4] The marsh warbler is now one of around 40 species placed in the genus Acrocephalus that was introduced by Johann Andreas Naumann and his son Johann Friedrich Naumann in 1811. [5] The genus name Acrocephalus is from Ancient Greek akros, "highest", and kephale, "head". It is possible that the Naumanns thought akros meant "sharp-pointed". The specific palustris is from Latin and means "marshy". [6] The species is considered as monotypic, and there is no significant geographical variation. [5]

Description

This is a medium-sized warbler. It is very similar in appearance to several other acrocephaline warblers, such as the reed warbler which also occurs in wetlands and has a similar breeding range. The male's distinctive song is useful for identification, as no other member of the genus mimics other birds to any significant extent. The marsh warbler also tends to avoid the stands of pure reed which are the reed warbler's favoured habitat. [7] The sexes are alike in appearance. Hybridisation with both reed warbler and Blyth's reed warbler has been occasionally recorded. [7]

The marsh warbler is best known for the highly imitative song uttered by males, and very occasionally by females. Each male marsh warbler incorporates imitations of a wide range of other birds into its song. Other passerines are most commonly imitated, but the calls of other kinds of bird such as waders, hornbills and pigeons have been noted too. On average, each male bird incorporates imitations of 75 other species into its song, with rather more African than northern species mimicked. All learning seems to take place in the summer the bird is hatched in Europe or Asia, and in its first winter in Africa. The calls of birds heard in subsequent years are not added to the warbler's repertoire. [7] Females may utter a simple, non-imitative song, and a range of other calls are also known.

Distribution and habitat

Drawing by Jos Zwarts Bosrietzanger Acrocephalus palustris Jos Zwarts 3.tiff
Drawing by Jos Zwarts

The marsh warbler breeds in the middle latitudes of Europe and western Asia, from the English Channel to about 70 degrees east. It mainly occupies areas with a continental climate, but breeds, or has bred, in Britain and northern France as well. It is principally a bird of the lowlands, but occurs at altitudes of up to 3000m in Georgia. In recent decades it has expanded its range to the north, with increasing numbers of birds breeding in Scandinavia and north-west Russia. [7] Singing males are occasionally heard in Ireland, most recently in 2017.

In western Europe the marsh warbler breeds mainly in rank vegetation on damp or seasonally flooded soils, and is particularly attracted to tall herbaceous vegetation such as nettles, meadowsweet, willowherbs and to young osiers and other low woody plants. It may breed in urban brownfield sites with suitable vegetation, for instance in Berlin, and also occasionally in arable crops. In the eastern part of its range, it breeds on dry hillsides with shrubs and in open woodland, as well as the kind of damper habitats it frequents in the west. [7]

The marsh warbler winters mainly in south-east Africa, from Cape Province north to Zambia and Malawi. It makes use of a range of well-vegetated habitats, from moist scrub to dense thickets and woodland edge, at altitudes up to 2400m. [7] Marsh warblers tend to migrate from Europe to Africa via the Middle East, with many crossing Arabia and arriving in Africa on Sudan's Red Sea coast. Adults usually leave their breeding grounds soon after their young are independent, with their offspring following about two weeks later. On the Red Sea coast most birds arrive from mid-August to mid-September, with numbers of adults peaking in August and of young birds in September. Birds tend to spend much of the autumn somewhere in north-east or east Africa, before continuing south to arrive on their wintering grounds in December or January. [7]

In spring, marsh warblers leave their wintering grounds in March or April. They are thought to follow broadly similar routes to their autumn migration. Birds breeding in south-east Europe, for instance on the Black Sea coast, may arrive there by late April. In other parts of their range, the majority of birds do not arrive until mid-May. On the western and northern edge of their range, such as in England, birds do not tend to arrive until the end of May or early June. [7]

As a vagrant, the species has been recorded as far away as Iceland and Madeira. [7]

Behaviour

Breeding

Marsh warbler with a cuckoo nestling. Marsh Warbler pho 0069.jpg
Marsh warbler with a cuckoo nestling.
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden Acrocephalus palustris MWNH 1715.JPG
Eggs, Collection Museum Wiesbaden
Cuculus canorus canorus in a clutch of Acrocephalus palustris - MHNT Cuculus canorus canorus MHNT.ZOO.2010.11.149.42.jpg
Cuculus canorus canorus in a clutch of Acrocephalus palustris - MHNT

The species is usually monogamous. Marsh warblers tend to choose new mates each year and do not necessarily return to breed in the same area as previous years. On their breeding grounds they are territorial, with territories often grouped into loose colonies. In Africa, they are essentially solitary, and may defend territories to some extent. [7] The nest is a cup, made mostly from leaves and plant stems, and is usually in dense vegetation, at varying heights. Three to six eggs are laid. Both sexes bring food to the nestlings. [7] In continental Europe at least, the species has a short breeding season, of 52–55 days. [8] In some areas, such as Bulgaria, marsh warblers suffer significant levels of parasitism by common cuckoos. [9]

Food and feeding

The marsh warbler is mostly insectivorous, but also takes some spiders and small numbers of snails. It generally gleans insects from vegetation but sometimes catches them on the ground or in mid-air. In autumn small numbers of berries may be eaten. There have been no detailed studies of the bird's diet in Africa, though foraging techniques during winter are known to be very similar to those in other seasons. [7]

Conservation

Globally, the population is believed to be increasing, and the IUCN categorises the species as of least concern. It is estimated to have a total population of 10 to 27 million individuals. [10]

In Britain the species was never widespread, and disappeared from many areas from the 1930s onwards. [7] By the 1970s marsh warblers bred in significant numbers only in Worcestershire, where 40-70 pairs were recorded each year. [11] This population was effectively extinct by the end of the 1990s. [12] From the 1970s and 1980s onwards, a very small population slowly developed in south-east England. However, this population is also now close to extinction. [13] [14] The reasons for the population decline in Britain are not completely understood, despite there appearing to be much suitable habitat. The Biodiversity Action Plan for the species further comments that it is not clear what can be done to conserve the species apart from protecting habitat at known breeding sites and protecting birds from egg collectors and from disturbance. [15]

Related Research Articles

Eurasian blackcap Bird in the Old World warbler family from Eurasia and Africa

The Eurasian blackcap, usually known simply as the blackcap, is a common and widespread typical warbler. It has mainly olive-grey upperparts and pale grey underparts, and differences between the five subspecies are small. Both sexes have a neat coloured cap to the head, black in the male and reddish-brown in the female. The male's typical song is a rich musical warbling, often ending in a loud high-pitched crescendo, but a simpler song is given in some isolated areas, such as valleys in the Alps. The blackcap's closest relative is the garden warbler, which looks quite different but has a similar song.

Savis warbler Species of bird

Savi's warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in Europe and the western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering in northern and sub-Saharan Africa.

<i>Acrocephalus</i> (bird) Genus of birds

The Acrocephalus warblers are small, insectivorous passerine birds belonging to the genus Acrocephalus. Formerly in the paraphyletic Old World warbler assemblage, they are now separated as the namesake of the marsh and tree warbler family Acrocephalidae. They are sometimes called marsh warblers or reed warblers, but this invites confusion with marsh warbler and reed warbler proper, especially in North America, where it is common to use lower case for bird species.

Eurasian reed warbler Species of bird

The Eurasian reed warbler, or just reed warbler, is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds across Europe into the temperate western Palaearctic. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.

Sedge warbler Species of bird

The sedge warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is a medium-sized warbler with a brown, streaked back and wings and a distinct pale supercilium. Sedge warblers are migratory, crossing the Sahara to get from their European and Asian breeding grounds to spend winter in Africa. The male's song is composed of random chattering phrases and can include mimicry of other species. The sedge warbler is mostly insectivorous.

Aquatic warbler Species of bird

The aquatic warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in temperate eastern Europe and western Asia, with an estimated population of 11,000-15,000 pairs. It is migratory, wintering in west Africa. After many years of uncertainty, the wintering grounds of much of the European population were finally discovered in Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, Senegal, with between 5,000 and 10,000 birds present at this single site. Its south-westerly migration route means that it is regular on passage as far west as Great Britain and Ireland.

Blyths reed warbler Species of bird

Blyth's reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in the Palearctic and easternmost Europe. It is migratory, wintering in Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. It is one of the most common winter warblers in those countries. It is a rare vagrant to western Europe.

Great reed warbler Species of bird

The great reed warbler is a Eurasian passerine in the genus Acrocephalus.

Paddyfield warbler Species of bird

The paddyfield warbler is a species of marsh warbler. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. The Manchurian reed warbler was included in A. agricola as a subspecies.

Moustached warbler Species of bird

The moustached warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in southern Europe and southern temperate Asia with a few breeding in north-west Africa. It is partially migratory. South-west European birds are resident, south-east European birds winter in the Mediterranean breeding range, and the Asiatic race migrates to Arabia, India and Pakistan.

Sedge wren Species of bird

The sedge wren is a small and secretive passerine bird in the family Troglodytidae. It is widely distributed in North America. It is often found in wet grasslands and meadows where it nests in the tall grasses and sedges and feeds on insects. The sedge wren was formerly considered as conspecific with the non-migratory grass wren of central and South America.

Clamorous reed warbler Species of bird

The clamorous reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds from Egypt eastwards through Pakistan, Afghanistan and northernmost India to south China and southeast Asia. A. s. meridionalis is an endemic race in Sri Lanka.

Australian reed warbler Species of bird

The Australian reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus and is the only Acrocephalus species native to Australia. It has also been observed in Papua New Guinea and nearby islands. The name Acrocephalus refers to the peaked crown found on reed warblers in this genus and can be translated to mean "topmost head" in Greek. The species name australis is translated to mean "southern" in Latin, and refers to the species range, Australia. In its western range the Australian reed warbler is also known as "Koordjikotji" in the local Aboriginal language of Perth and its surrounds.

Moorbad Gmös

The peat therapy resortMoorbad Gmös in the vicinity of the town of Laakirchen is one of the few bogs in the Alpine foothills of Upper Austria. The bog dates back to the Mindel glaciation and was created by a "dead-ice hole". In 1987 the local authorities of Upper Austria declared the area of 3.4 ha of the Gmöser Moor a natural preserve. A path around the area has since then given the visitor the opportunity of observing rare flora and fauna. In 2002 the spa was chosen as background scenery for the TV-production Schlosshotel Orth.

Basra reed warbler Species of bird

The Basra reed warbler is a "warbler" of the genus Acrocephalus. It is an endemic breeder in Southwestern Iran, East and southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Israel in extensive beds of papyrus and reeds. It is easily mistaken for the great reed warbler but is a bit smaller, has whiter underparts and has a narrower, longer and more pointed bill. It winters in East Africa. It is a very rare vagrant in Europe. The call is a gruff 'chaar', deeper than a reed warbler's.

African reed warbler Species of bird

The African reed warbler or African marsh warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in much of Africa south of the Sahara. It is migratory within the continent, with southern breeding population moving to the tropics in the southern hemisphere's winter.

Black-browed reed warbler Species of bird

The black-browed reed warbler is a marsh-warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. It was formerly included in the "Old World warbler" assemblage. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1860.

Speckled reed warbler Species of bird

The speckled reed warbler or streaked reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. The species was first described by Robert Swinhoe in 1863.

Oriental reed warbler Species of bird

The Oriental reed warbler is a passerine bird of eastern Asia belonging to the reed warbler genus Acrocephalus. It was formerly classified as a subspecies of the great reed warbler of the western Palearctic.

Marais Audomarois

The Marais Audomarois is a biosphere reserve in the north of France. The renowned Ramsar site of wetland covers some 22 300 hectares, including the city Saint-Omer.

References

  1. ↑ BirdLife International (2019). "Acrocephalus palustris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2019: e.T22714741A155434933. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-3.RLTS.T22714741A155434933.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. ↑ British Trust for Ornithology, BirdFacts: Marsh Warbler accessed 21 February 2010.
  3. ↑ Latham, John; Bechstein, Johann Matthäus (1798). Johann Lathams allgemeine Uebersicht der Vögel (in German). Vol. 3, Part 2. Nürnberg: A.C. Schneider and Weigel. p. 545.
  4. ↑ Mayr, Ernst; Cottrell, G. William, eds. (1986). Check-list of Birds of the World. Vol. 11. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Museum of Comparative Zoology. p. 64.
  5. 1 2 Gill, Frank; Donsker, David; Rasmussen, Pamela, eds. (January 2022). "Bushtits, leaf warblers, reed warblers". IOC World Bird List Version 12.1. International Ornithologists' Union. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
  6. ↑ Jobling, James A (2010). The Helm Dictionary of Scientific Bird Names. London: Christopher Helm. pp.  30, 290. ISBN   978-1-4081-2501-4.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Birds of the Western Palearctic interactive (DVD-Rom). Oxford University Press and BirdGuides. 2006.
  8. ↑ Leisler, B.; Wink M. (2000). "Frequences of multiple paternity in three Acrocephalus species (Aves Sylviidae) with different mating systems (A. palustris, A. arudinaceus, A. paludicola)" (PDF). Ecology, Ethology and Evolution. 12 (3): 237–49. doi:10.1080/08927014.2000.9522798.
  9. ↑ Antonov, A.; Stokke, B.G.; Moksnes, A.; Røskaft, E. (2006). "Egg rejection in marsh warblers (Acrocephalus palustris) heavily parasitized by common cuckoos (Cuculus Canorus)". The Auk. 123 (2): 419–430. doi: 10.1093/auk/123.2.419 .
  10. ↑ IUCN, Red List: Acrocephalus palustris accessed 21 February 2010.
  11. ↑ Robin Spencer and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel Report for 1990 accessed 13 June 2020.
  12. ↑ Malcolm Ogilvie and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel Report for 1999 accessed 13 June 2020.
  13. ↑ J. T. R. Sharrock and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel Report for 1978 accessed 13 June 2020.
  14. ↑ Holling, Mark; and the Rare Breeding Birds Panel (2010). "Rare breeding birds in the United Kingdom in 2007" (PDF). British Birds. 103 (1): 2–52 [45–46].
  15. ↑ Biodiversity Action Plan for Acrocephalus palustris (Marsh warbler) accessed 21 February 2010.

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