Callum Macgregor

A trans-Saharan migrant passerine, which breeds from W Europe to C Siberia and spends the winter in wetlands across the Sahel and further S (BirdLife International 2021). European birds breed from the British Isles to N Scandinavia, but not in S countries (e.g. it does not breed in Iberia; Keller et al. 2020).

Season of assessment

B

Population trendUnknown
Population size
(min-max, best estimate)		9170000-13700000,11000000
Red List categoryLC
Franks, S., Fiedler, W., Arizaga, J., Jiguet, F., Nikolov, B., van der Jeugd, Ambrosini, R, Aizpurua, O., Bairlein, F., Clark, J., Fattorini, N, Hammond, M., Higgins, D, Levering, H., Skellorn, W., Spina, F, Thorup, K. Walker, J., Woodward, I. and Baillie, S.R. (1) (2022) Online Atlas of the movements of European bird populations. https://migrationatlas.org EURING/CMS (1) Principal investigator
Map

Overall Connectivity for Sedge Warbler

Sedge Warblers have parallel migration patterns, which give rise to high connectivity between breeding sites and wintering quarters in Africa. Western populations mainly migrate SW, wintering in the Senegambia and the W Sahelian wetlands. C European birds have a wider range of migration direction from SW to SE, thus wintering in central areas of the Sahel across to the Sudan. Birds from S Scandinavia and the Baltic States move mostly S/SW, wintering through the central Sahelian wetlands. Birds from N Scandinavia, E Europe and Russia move SE to overwinter in E Sahel, as far as E and S Africa.

Recoveries by Condition for Sedge Warbler

Most recoveries (98%) are of birds recaptured alive. Recoveries in Africa increased as a result of several intensive ringing campaigns from the 1970s onwards. Recoveries of dead birds were relatively frequent (23%) before 1961 but, as so many birds are now recaptured, they are extremely rare (0.5%).

Annual Movements for Sedge Warbler

Departure from the breeding quarters starts in Jul, continuing to mid-Aug. Birds breeding further N leave earlier than populations to the S. Adults migrate through stopover sites before first-year birds. Birds arrive on the winter quarters in Africa by Oct and depart from Mar, with some leaving as late as May. Sedge Warblers reach the breeding grounds Apr-May (northern European populations arrive later than their southern counterparts).

Connectivity by Month by Region for Sedge Warbler

Western populations migrate through Iberia Jul-Sep (peak in Aug); and across NW Africa Aug-Oct. Passage of eastern populations across SE Europe is mostly in Aug-Sep. Return passage across S Europe occurs mostly in Apr, with some in May. Eastern populations migrate through SE Europe (mostly the Balkan peninsula), while western populations mostly move across E Iberia/France, avoiding W Iberia, thus giving rise to loop migration.

Juan Arizaga

References

Statistics Map
N records N individuals N recoveries
Mapped data*
Total available data
*Mapped data include only distant (>= 50 km) recoveries
References Map
2020 . European Breeding Bird Atlas 2: Distribution, Abundance and Change. European Bird Census Council & Lynx Edicions, BarcelonaEditor(s): Keller, V., S. Herrando, P. Voříšek, et al.
BirdLife International2021 . Species factsheet: Acrocephalus schoenobaenus.

Back to Analysis