From Opus

Photo by Daniele Occhiato
Photo taken: Massaciuccoli Lake, Tuscany, Italy

Acrocephalus melanopogon

[edit] Identification

12-13.5 cm
Streaked brown back and white underparts. Black crown. The forehead is flattened, there is a prominent whitish supercilium, grey ear coverts, and the bill is strong and pointed. Short rounded tail is often cocked

Sexes alike

Young birds have spots on the breast and a creamy central crown stripe

[edit] Distribution

Southern Europe and southern temperate Asia with a few in north-west Africa.

[edit] Taxonomy

[edit] Subspecies^[1]

• A. m. elanopogon:

• Mediterranean basin (Europe and North Africa)

• A. m. mimicus:

• Western Turkey to southern Russia, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan

• A. m. albiventris:

• Russia (eastern coast of Sea of Azov to lower Don River)

[edit] Habitat

Upright aquatic vegetation such as reeds and sedge.

[edit] Behaviour

[edit] Breeding

Breeding starts from mid-April. A clutch of three to six eggs are laid and incubated for 14-15 days. Builds an untidy nest in low dense vegetation

[edit] Diet

Diet includes insects and water snails.

[edit] Vocalisation

[edit] References

1. Clements, JF. 2008. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2008. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019. Spreadsheet available at http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist.
2. Wikipedia
3. Collins Field Guide 5th Edition

• List of references

[edit] External Links