Henderson Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus taiti
The Henderson Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus taiti) is a legendary reed warbler found only in the Pitcairn Islands, weighing about 24 g. The Henderson reed warbler, also known as the Henderson reed-warbler or the Henderson Island reed warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae.




About the Henderson Reed Warbler
The Henderson reed warbler, also known as the Henderson reed-warbler or the Henderson Island reed warbler, is a species of Old World warbler in the family Acrocephalidae. It is found only on Henderson Island, part of the Pitcairn Islands. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
How to identify it
The Henderson reed warbler is a large, short-billed warbler, with an average length of 17 cm (6.7 in). Males weigh 22.5–30.5 g (0.79–1.08 oz) on average and females weigh 21–25 g (0.74–0.88 oz) on average. The head is white, with a blotched olive-brown and white crown and a dark eyestripe. The upperparts are olive-brown, while the underparts are white with a light yellow wash. The wing feathers have pale borders, and some wing feathers can be entirely white. The distribution and extent of leucistic patches on the body is variable and some birds can be almost entirely white. Voice: The warbler's calls include a monotonous chirp, a short (<0.13 s) high-pitched note (4–8 kHz), and a series of thin notes and chirps one to five seconds long. The last of these sounds similar to a song, but it is not known if this species sings.
Where it lives
When to see it
Best months: April, May, June, July, September, October, with peak activity in July. It is a winter visitor species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Henderson Reed Warbler?
- The Henderson reed warbler is a large, short-billed warbler, with an average length of 17 cm (6.7 in). Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Henderson Reed Warbler?
- The Henderson Reed Warbler is a small sized bird weighing about 24 g.
- Where can you see a Henderson Reed Warbler?
- The Henderson Reed Warbler is endemic to the Pitcairn Islands, which is the only country where it occurs.
- What birds look similar to a Henderson Reed Warbler?
- The Henderson Reed Warbler is most easily confused with the Pitcairn Reed Warbler, the Large-billed Reed Warbler and the Tahiti Reed Warbler.
- Is the Henderson Reed Warbler endangered?
- The Henderson Reed Warbler is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Henderson Reed Warbler for real
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