Large-billed Reed Warbler
Acrocephalus orinus
The Large-billed Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orinus) is a legendary reed warbler found in 3 countries, weighing about 24 g. The large-billed reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus.
About the Large-billed Reed Warbler
The large-billed reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. The species has been dubbed as "the world's least known bird". It was known from a single specimen collected in India in 1867 and rediscovered in the wild in Thailand in 2006. The identity of the bird caught in Thailand was established by matching DNA sequences extracted from feathers; the bird was released. After the rediscovery in the wild a second specimen was discovered amid Acrocephalus dumetorum specimens in the collections of the Natural History Museum at Tring. A breeding area was found in Afghanistan in 2009 and studies in 2011 pointed to its breeding in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. One bird was found in…
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How to identify it
This species has the upper plumage and visible portions of wings and tail olive-brown while the underside is pale creamy with the underwing and axillaries paler. The length is about 5 in (130 mm) with the tail being 2.3 in (58 mm) and the wing 2.4 in (61 mm) long. The tarsus is 0.85 in (22 mm) while the bill from gape is 0.8 in (20 mm). The first primary measures 0.35 in (8.9 mm) while the second is intermediate in length between the ninth and tenth. The closed tail appears graduated with the difference between the longest and shortest feathers being 0.4 in (10 mm).
Where it lives
Recorded as a rare visitor in India.
When to see it
Best months: March, April, May, June, December, with peak activity in June. It is a variable species across most of its range.
Easily confused with
Quick questions
- How do you identify a Large-billed Reed Warbler?
- This species has the upper plumage and visible portions of wings and tail olive-brown while the underside is pale creamy with the underwing and axillaries paler. Full identification notes are on this page.
- How big is a Large-billed Reed Warbler?
- The Large-billed Reed Warbler is a small sized bird weighing about 24 g.
- Where can you see a Large-billed Reed Warbler?
- The Large-billed Reed Warbler occurs in 3 countries, including Tajikistan and Thailand.
- What birds look similar to a Large-billed Reed Warbler?
- The Large-billed Reed Warbler is most easily confused with the Pitcairn Reed Warbler, the Henderson Reed Warbler and the Millerbird.
- Is the Large-billed Reed Warbler endangered?
- The Large-billed Reed Warbler is listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Learn the Large-billed Reed Warbler for real
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