Common Reed Warbler

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Habitat and behaviour

Habitat: Reedbeds (summer).
Diet: Insects.
Best time to spot: Plain brown; rhythmic song.

When to look

A summer visitor, typically in the UK from April to September. Numbers peak in May. See the May birding guide for what else is about. More on the season in Bird migration in Britain.

Taller bars mean more birds about. Grey means it is usually absent.

How rare is it?

The Common Reed Warbler sits in our Uncommon tier for the UK: regular, but you usually need the right place or the right season. It is not on the Red or Amber lists in Birds of Conservation Concern 5.

Recent UK sightings

Similar birds

• Sedge WarblerCommon · Reedbeds
• Great Reed WarblerEpic · Reedbeds (very rare)
• Marsh WarblerRare · Damp scrub (very rare summer)
• Aquatic WarblerEpic · Sedge marsh (rare passage)
• Blyth's Reed WarblerRare · Coastal scrub (very rare)
• Paddyfield WarblerEpic · Reed scrub (very rare)

Kit that helps

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