ID Keys: Brown above with dark streaks, creamy white below, white
supercillium,
The
Sedge Warbler is a small passerine with a breeding range that covers much of
Europe and western Asia. They are strongly migratory, with migrating
birds flying over the vast Sahara desert on their way to wintering grounds
in central and southern Africa. In North America, they are only known from a
single sighting, on Gambell Island in the Bering Sea, in 2007. Their
normal breeding grounds are quite a distance from the location of the North
American sighting, and normal migration patterns would take Sedge Warblers
far away from North America. Numbers of Sedge Warblers have declined
in recent decades, as their preferred wetland habitats have been lost.
Habitat
Found in and around wetlands with
significant herbaceous wetland vegetation. Will occasionally breed in
other habitats, but always with wetland habitats in close proximity.
Diet
Feeds on insects and spiders. During
the winter months, may also feed on berries.
Behavior
Feeds in thick wetland vegetation, or in
nearby habitats. Foraging techniques include gleaning insects from the
vegetation foliage, either while clambering through vegetation, or while
hovering. They will also sometimes capture flying insects in mid-air.
Nesting
The female builds a small, cup-shaped
nest of grasses, weed stems, leaves, and spider webs. The nest is
placed on the ground, or quite low in vegetation. The female lays
between 3 and 5 eggs, and she alone incubates them. After the eggs
hatch, both parents help tend to and feed the young, who leave the nest
after about 2 weeks.
Song
Song is a long, variable, rapid series of
phrases. Even the same individual will vary phrases in a song, often
interspersing imitations of songs from other species.
Migration
Breeds throughout much of Europe and
the western half of Asia. Winters in Africa.
