Sedge Warbler

The Sedge Warbler is a streaky, brown-and-buff wetland warbler, easily distinguished from its close relative the Reed Warbler by a bold, prominent cream or buff supercilium (eyebrow stripe) that runs above a darker eye-stripe. The crown and back are heavily streaked with dark brown, while the rump is plain and unstreaked.

It is an energetic and vocal bird, frequently singing from within reeds or low waterside vegetation, and males often punctuate their song with a short, fluttering song-flight, rising a short distance before parachuting back down.

Sedge Warblers are accomplished mimics, weaving snatches of other birds' calls and songs into their own fast, scratchy, ever-varying song.

Key field marks

• Heavily streaked crown and back
• Bold, prominent cream or buff supercilium above the eye
• Unstreaked, plain rump (contrasts with streaked back)
• Buffy underparts, paler on the throat
• Rounded wings and a fairly short tail

Similar species

• Eurasian Reed Warbler: plain, unstreaked upperparts with no supercilium, warmer uniform brown tone, and a more rhythmic, repetitive song.
• Grasshopper Warbler: also streaked but shows streaking on the undertail coverts too and gives an entirely different mechanical reeling song.
• Aquatic Warbler (rare): shows a pale central crown stripe in addition to the supercilium, a much rarer species than Sedge Warbler across most of its range.

Sedge Warblers breed across much of Europe and into western Asia, occupying wetland habitats including reedbeds, marshes, ditches, and scrubby vegetation bordering rivers, lakes, and wet grassland, often in somewhat drier or more varied waterside vegetation than the Reed Warbler.

They are long-distance migrants, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa, notably in the Sahel zone, and are known for rapidly fattening up at key stopover wetlands before making long non-stop flights during migration.

The species arrives on breeding grounds in April and quickly establishes territories in suitable waterside scrub and reed fringe.

Voice

The song is fast, scratchy, and highly varied, mixing harsh chattering notes with more musical trills and frequent mimicry of other bird species. It is often delivered from a low perch or during a brief, fluttering song-flight above the vegetation. The call is a hard "tuc" or churring note.

Feeding

Sedge Warblers feed on insects and spiders gleaned from waterside vegetation, and build up substantial fat reserves before migration, sometimes nearly doubling their body weight at key staging wetlands.

Nesting and breeding

The nest is a deep cup built low in dense waterside vegetation such as reeds, sedges, or scrub. Clutches typically contain five to six eggs.