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Lesser Swamp Warbler

Acrocephalus gracilirostris

Least Concern · IUCN Red List

LCLeast ConcernInvertebratesWetlandCup nestTiny · 14 g
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 1
Photo: i_c_riddell · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 2
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 3
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 4
Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 5
Photo: Derek Keats from Johannesburg, South Africa · CC BY 2.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 6
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 7
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 8
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 9
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0
Lesser Swamp Warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris), photo 10
Photo: Jared Zachary Herman · CC BY 4.0

ID tip

The lesser swamp warbler is a plain-coloured smallish bird 14–16 cm long and weighing around 20 g. Its upperparts are rich brown, and it has a white supercilium. The underparts are white, with a rufous wash to the flanks. The long, strong bill has a slightly down-curved upper mandible; it is blackish-yellow with a yellower base. The legs are blue-grey and the eyes are brown. Adults of both sexes and juvenile birds are very similar in appearance.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

When to see the Lesser Swamp Warbler

One bar for each month, and every month is filled: this bird is recorded here in all twelve. The wide bar is October, the month with the most records.

Where to see the Lesser Swamp Warbler

Regular range

The map shades 18 countries with regular records. Everything unshaded has no records. Countries are listed below the map.

South Africa Zimbabwe Kenya Zambia Namibia Mozambique Botswana Tanzania Uganda Congo - Kinshasa Rwanda Eswatini Ethiopia Malawi Angola Lesotho Nigeria Burundi

About the Lesser Swamp Warbler

The lesser swamp warbler or Cape reed warbler is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It is sparsely present across sub-Saharan Africa, a common species of reedbeds in standing water.

Text adapted from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Easily confused with

Clamorous Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus stentoreus) Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreusClamorous reed warbler is a large song thrush-sized warbler at 18–20 cm. Oriental Reed Warbler (Acrocephalus orientalis) Oriental Reed WarblerAcrocephalus orientalisIt is a large warbler, 18–20 cm long with a wingspan of 23–26 cm. Moustached Warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon) Moustached WarblerAcrocephalus melanopogonThe moustached warbler is 12–13 cm (4.7–5.1 in) long, slightly smaller than the similar sedge warbler (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus).

Side by side: Australian Reed Warbler vs Lesser Swamp Warbler · Clamorous Reed Warbler vs Lesser Swamp Warbler · Lesser Swamp Warbler vs Oriental Reed Warbler · Lesser Swamp Warbler vs Moustached Warbler

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