Songbird Saturday: Reed Warbler

The very sound of reed beds in summer, the Reed Warbler’s song is loud, persistent, animated and energetic – quite a shock for a bird so small, shy and plain-looking

During the summer, this shy and rather plain warbler is successfully hidden away in the reed and tall grass-stuffed wetlands it favours for feeding and breeding. Small with plain golden-brown plumage and a pale belly, it is perfectly camouflaged against the similarly coloured reeds. You could be forgiven for being completely oblivious of its presence – until it opens its beak, that is!

With a wonderfully animated and slightly frenetic style, the male Reed Warbler sings persistently from a concealed perch deep within the reedbeds, to attract a female to mate with, while also defending their territory. The song is continuous stream of chattering notes that can sound both rhythmic and simultaneously slightly hurried. It often mixes harsh, scratchy sounds with softer, more musical phrases, creating a varied feel. The loud song doesn’t follow a simple pattern – rather, it has a rambling quality, as if the bird is constantly experimenting with new combinations of sounds, like a dj or raver.

Reed warblers typically sing during the breeding season, which runs from late spring to mid-summer (around May to July). They are especially active at dawn and dusk, when their song carries best across their wetland habitats, though they sometimes sing throughout the day as well. Look out for them in wetland habitats, such as Llyn Coed y Dinas and Cors Dyfi nature reserves, as well as farmland.

The song of the Reed Warbler is sometimes confused with that of the Sedge Warbler – another summer migrant found in marshes, reedbeds and wetlands. However, while they can sound similar at first, once you get your ear in you can pick out clear differences. The Sedge Warbler song is much more varied, wild, irregular and unpredictable; sudden changes in pitch, speed and volume, combined with mimicry, make its song much harsher, noisier and more rambling than the more musical, more rhythmic Reed Warbler.

Wetland is also one of the habitats preferred by the Grasshopper Warbler, along with heathland and grassland. But while this buff-coloured bird is similarly plain as the Reed Warbler, their songs are worlds apart. Sometimes seen at ours Cors Dyfi Nature Reserve (see video below), the rare, red-listed Grasshopper Warbler sounds – as its name suggests – like a grasshopper or cricket. Its song is a continuous high-pitched reeling sound which it’s adept at throwing, so it’s hard to locate the songster.

The Reed Warbler is the more traditional songbird of the trio, with a pleasant sounding, melodic, chirping call that rings out from the reedbeds, announcing summer is here. 

Reed Warbler song at a glance

WHEN: During breeding season, from late spring to mid-summer (around May to July), especially at dawn and dusk, though sometimes throughout the day as well. 

WHERE: From concealed perches deep within reedbeds. Look out for them at our Llyn Coed y Dinas and Cors Dyfi Nature Reserves. Found in wetland and farmland, and both urban and suburban settings.

WHAT: A lively, continuous stream of chattering notes that can sound both rhythmic and slightly hurried. It often mixes harsh, scratchy sounds with softer, more musical phrases, creating a varied feel.