- Acrocephalus baeticatus
Identification
13 cm. Rich brown upperparts, weak white supercilium, white underparts, rufous flanks, strong pointed bill with downcurved upper mandible, dull yellow with a yellower base, black legs, brown eyes. The sexes are similar; juvenile has a rufous rump.
Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula
Taxonomy
Acrocephalus baeticatus was split from the Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus; recent studies indicate that they may be lumped again in future.
Acrocephalus baeticatus has about seven subspecies:
- A. b. baeticatus;
- A. b. guiersi;
- A. b. hallae;
- A. b. suahelicus;
- A. b. avicenniae;
- A. b. cinnamomeus; and
- A. b. fraterculus.
Some authorities split A. avicenniae (Mangrove Warbler) and A. cinnamomeus (Cinnamon Warbler, including both A. b. cinnamomeus and A. b. fraterculus) as separate species.
Habitat
Marshy areas, with reeds sedges or rank vegetation.
Behaviour
The diet includes insects and invertebrates.
It builds a deep basket nest from strips of reed blades, grass and sedges, lined with finer grasses, placed low in reeds. 2-4 white eggs are laid.
Vocalisation
The song is a slow, chattering jit-jit-jit.
