adult

adult European distribution male singing from stem

Identification

Marsh Warblers are exceptionally difficult to identify by sight: even birds in the hand can prove impossible! However, compared to a Reed Warbler they should be a colder, greyer brown tone, with longer primaries and brighter, yellower legs and feet. Their wings should be less uniform in several ways due to a darker alula, darker-centred tertials and pale edges to the tips of the primaries.

Habitat

Breeds in tall dense vegetation near rivers, lakes and marshes.

Migration

Birds migrate through the eastern end of the Mediterranean to winter in east and south-east Africa.

This information is taken from the BirdFile on the appropriate BirdGuides DVD-ROM. As well as video and sounds, our CD- and DVD-ROMs contain additional text on Voice, Sexing, Ageing, Food, Nests and Eggs and more.

For the purposes of our bird news services, Marsh Warbler is classed as Scarce: broadly speaking, species that are covered in British Birds' annual review of scarce species (and forms of similar rarity).

undisc. site, Northumbs 23/06/2010	Edderthorpe Flash, S Yorks 17/06/2010	Edderthorpe Flash, S Yorks 17/06/2010	Edderthorpe Flash, S Yorks 17/06/2010	undisc. site, Northumbs 16/06/2010
undisc. site, Northumbs 16/06/2010	Druridge Pools, Northumbs 08/06/2010	Gramborough Hill, Norfolk 01/06/2010	Lac de Vernant, Rhône-Alpes, France 05/06/2009	garden, Saudi Arabia 01/10/2009

 View all pictures of Marsh Warbler

Marsh Warbler breeds in the following countries (Bird News Extra subscribers will see population statistics and information on trends for each country):

Albania
Armenia
Austria
Azerbaijan
Belarus
Belgium
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bulgaria
Croatia
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Georgia
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Italy
Latvia
Lichtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Macedonia
Moldova
Netherlands
Norway
Poland
Romania
Russia
Serbia and Montenegro
Slovakia
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
Turkey
Ukraine

BTO BirdFacts: Marsh Warbler	Edit this link
	Broken link
Recommend a new link

BirdGuides Ltd are not responsible for the content of external sites. If you find a broken link, please click the appropriate "Broken link" link above`.

	Marsh Warbler - Myths, Mimics & Matrices	Friday 1st June 2007
	Phil Chantler discusses the chequered history, and identification, of this tricky species.

 BirdGuides webzine