Cape Verde Warbler
Acrocephalus brevipennis
The Cape Verde Warbler (Acrocephalus brevipennis) is a legendary reed warbler found only in Cape Verde, weighing about 16 g. The Cape Verde warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus.
About the Cape Verde Warbler
The Cape Verde warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is also known as the Cape Verde cane warbler or Cape Verde swamp warbler, and in Creole as tchota-de-cana or chincherote. It breeds on Santiago, Fogo, and São Nicolau in the Cape Verde Islands. It previously bred on Brava. This species is found in well-vegetated valleys, avoiding drier areas. It nests in reedbeds, two to three eggs being laid in a suspended nest.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
This is a medium-sized warbler, larger than the Eurasian reed warbler. It resembles that bird in appearance, grey-brown above, greyish-white below, with no obvious markings. The geographical isolation of the bird on the Cape Verde Islands prevents confusion with other similar species. The song is a distinctive liquid bubbling, like that of a bulbul.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: January, February, March, April, May, September, October, November, with peak activity in April. It is a passage migrant species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Cape Verde Warbler?
- This is a medium-sized warbler, larger than the Eurasian reed warbler. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Cape Verde Warbler?
- The Cape Verde Warbler is a small sized bird weighing about 16 g.
- Where can you see a Cape Verde Warbler?
- The Cape Verde Warbler is endemic to Cape Verde, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Cape Verde Warbler?
- The Cape Verde Warbler is most easily confused with the Saipan Reed Warbler, the Blunt-winged Warbler and the Seychelles Warbler.
- Is the Cape Verde Warbler endangered?
- The Cape Verde Warbler is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Cape Verde Warbler for real
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