Paddyfield warbler  (Acrocephalus agricola)

The paddyfield warbler is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

The paddyfield warbler (Acrocephalus agricola) is a small bird with a short, dark brown bill and long, rounded tail. The upperparts of the paddyfield warbler are orange-brown in May and June, but the plumage slowly wears to a dull olive brown throughout the rest of the year. The throat and belly are whitish and the sides are a buffy yellow (2). 

The paddyfield warbler has pinkish or greyish-brown legs, dark brown eyes (2), and a whitish stripe above each eye (3).

The distinctive song of the paddyfield warbler consists of mimicry of other species, combined with hurried chortled phrases (2).

The paddyfield warbler breeds in Eastern Europe and Western and Central Asia. It migrates south to the warmer Indian subcontinent for the winter (4).

During the breeding season, the favoured habitat of the paddyfield warbler is low-growing reeds and dense vegetation at the edges of lakes and marshes (2) (3). In winter, it inhabits damp or wet ground with thick cover (2), such as reedbeds, paddy fields and mangroves (5).

A mainly insectivorous bird, the paddyfield warbler feeds primarily on small flies, such as mayflies and caddisflies, but also consumes beetles, spiders and earthworms (2).

The breeding season of the paddyfield warbler extends from mid-May to mid-August.  The nest, which is built by both sexes, is a tall, deep, cylindrical structure made from reeds and grasses. It is placed around the stems of aquatic or semi-aquatic vegetation, 20 to 100 centimetres above the water or land. The paddyfield warbler lays 3 to 6 eggs, which are incubated by the female for approximately 12 days. The chicks are fed by both parents (2).

In September, after breeding is over, the paddyfield warbler migrates south to spend winter in warmer climates, before returning to its breeding range in May (4).

Although the paddyfield warbler is not currently considered to be a threatened species (6), it may be affected in some areas by the reclamation of marshland, its favoured habitat (2).

There are currently no specific conservation measures in place for the paddyfield warbler.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

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