Australian Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus australis· 苇莺科(4 photos)
Locations:
Australian Reed Warbler
16-17 cm. Outstanding singer of the summer reedbeds. Plain pale olive-brown above, with faint fawn eyebrow; plain fawn-white below. Clings to reed stems, forages on floating vegetation. Singing, mouth yellow. In flight, note tawny rump.
- Other name
- Clamorous Reed-Warbler; Reedbird; Reedlark; Water Sparrow.
- Similar Species
- Oriental Reed-Warbler, Tawny Grassbird. Song of Brown Honeyeater can be confused.
- Voice
- rich, liquid, guttural phrases, 'chutch chutch, dzee-dzee-dzee, quarty-quarty-quarty'. Alarm-call: sharp 'tuk!'. Rattling scolds.
- Habitat
- reeds, cumbungi, pencil-rush, over water; river red gum regrowth; weeping willows, bamboos, crops near irrigation channels; public gardens.
- Breeding
- Sept.-Dec.
- Nest
- deep cup, narrowing at rim; of reed sheaths, woven around reed stems, willow-strands.
- Eggs
- 3-4; blue-white/buff-brown; spotted, blotched blue-grey, brown.
- Range & Status
- widespread e. Aust. and coastal WA, mostly s. of Tropic; uncommon Tas. In se. Aust. and sw. WA, summer breeding migrant, arriving Aug.-Oct., most departing March-April. Some overwinter. In tropical n. Aust., mostly winter visitor from s. Common. Also PNG to se., s. Asia, to ne. Africa.
- Distribution key to races
- 1. Acrocephalus australis australis 2. Acrocephalus australis gouldi
