Lesser swamp warbler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lesser swamp warbler |
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| At Marievale, Gauteng | |
| Conservation status | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Aves |
| Order: | Passeriformes |
| Family: | Acrocephalidae |
| Genus: | Acrocephalus |
| Species: |
A. gracilirostris
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| Binomial name | |
| Acrocephalus gracilirostris (Hartlaub, 1864)
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The lesser swamp warbler or Cape reed warbler (Acrocephalus gracilirostris) is a small, active bird found in Africa. It belongs to a group of birds called Old World warblers. You can find these birds living in many parts of Africa, from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Chad all the way south to South Africa. They especially love to live in reedbeds, which are areas filled with tall grasses and reeds near standing water.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
The lesser swamp warbler is a plain-looking bird, about 14 to 16 centimeters (about 5.5 to 6.3 inches) long. It weighs around 20 grams, which is about as much as four nickels! Its back and wings are a rich brown color. It has a white stripe above its eye, called a supercilium. Its belly is white, with a reddish-brown color on its sides.
Its bill (beak) is long and strong. The top part of the bill curves down a little. It's blackish-yellow, with a brighter yellow color at the bottom. The bird's legs are blue-grey, and its eyes are brown. Both male and female birds look very similar, and even young birds look like the adults.
What Does It Sound Like?
The song of the lesser swamp warbler is beautiful and musical. It's a series of bubbly sounds that include trilling notes. You might hear sounds like cheerup chee trrreee and many other variations. The bird often pauses between its song phrases.
Life and Habits
The lesser swamp warbler is usually seen alone or in pairs. They move through wetland reedbeds, climbing up and down the tall reed stems. They are always busy looking for food.
What Do They Eat?
These birds mainly eat insects and other small invertebrates. They are good at finding tiny creatures hidden among the reeds.
Nesting and Reproduction
The lesser swamp warbler builds a deep, strong nest that looks like a cup. They make it from strips of reed blades, grass, and sedges. The inside of the nest is lined with finer grasses to make it soft. They always place their nests in reeds, right above the water.
They usually nest from August to December. The earliest nesters are found in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, where it rains more in winter. The female bird lays two or three brown eggs. These birds are monogamous, which means they pair up for life.
Conservation Status
This bird is very common and lives across a huge area, estimated to be about 5.7 million square kilometers (about 2.2 million square miles). Scientists believe there are many lesser swamp warblers in the world. The number of these birds is not decreasing quickly.
Because of this, the species is listed as "Least Concern" by the IUCN Red List. This means that the lesser swamp warbler is not considered to be in danger of extinction.
Gallery
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A. gracilirostris on a perch in a bulrush plant
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A. gracilirostris scratching itself while cleaning its feathers
 | Madam C. J. Walker |
 | Janet Emerson Bashen |
 | Annie Turnbo Malone |
 | Maggie L. Walker |
