The RSPB: Sedge warbler

Conservation status: Green

The sedge warbler is a small, quite plump, warbler with a striking broad creamy stripe above its eye, and greyish brown legs. It is brown above with blackish streaks and creamy white underneath. It is a summer visitor, and winters in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert. Its song is a noisy, rambling warble compared to the more rhythmic song of the reed warbler.

Overview

Latin name

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Family

Warblers and allies (Sylviidae)

Where to see them

Found across the UK. A good place to try in summer is near a reedbed or a damp wetland, particularly near dawn and dusk when sedge warblers are most active. Look for singing birds perched on the outside of a bush.

When to see them

Mid-April to mid-October.

What they eat

Insects; berries in autumn

Population

Europe	UK breeding*	UK wintering*	UK passage*
-	321,000 territories	-	-

* UK breeding is the number of pairs breeding annually. UK wintering is the number of individuals present from October to March. UK passage is the number of individuals passing through on migration in spring and/or autumn.