Bird Album
Moustached Warbler
Acrocephalus melanopogon (Temminck, 1823)
12–13 cmLength11 gWeight
The adult has fine streaks on the back, white underparts and a whitish supercilium.
Busiest months: March–April and November · Most records: Spain, Israel, Türkiye
Looks like Sedge Warbler
How to identify
Field marks
- Adult has a brown back with fine streaks
- Striking whitish supercilium
- Gray ear-coverts and flat forehead
- Adult has white underparts and a stout, pointed bill
Male, female and young
Sexes identical; juvenile is more heavily streaked and has markings on the breast.
Voice
Very fast song, softer and more melodious than those of close relatives, with some mimicry and whistles.
Similar species
Where and when it's recorded
Busiest months: March–April and November · Most records: Spain, Israel, Türkiye
Moustached Warbler has been recorded at 306 of the 8,276 birding hotspots we track, in 48 countries and regions.
Records by month Northern Hemisphere
Where it's recorded most
- Marjal dels Moros – ÁreaSpain814 records
- Aras Kuş Halkalama İstasyonuTürkiye633 records
- Hides de Sa Roca i C. Informació, P.N. s'Albufera de MallorcaSpain520 records
More places
- Poleg MarshIsrael410 records
- International Birding and Research Center Eilat (IBRCE)Israel403 records
- Basai WetlandIndia309 records
- Al Jahra Reserve (Restricted access)Kuwait302 records
- Budhera Water Treatment PlantIndia229 records
- Aiguamolls de l'Empordà PNat – El MatàSpain204 records
- Kfar Ruppin fishpondsIsrael191 records
Countries and regions with the most records
eBird records via GBIF up to 2024-12-31. A record means someone listed it; more records partly mean more birders, not more birds.
About
The moustached warbler (Acrocephalus melanopogon) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus. It breeds in southern Europe and southern temperate Asia with a few breeding in north-west Africa. It is partially migratory.
Excerpt from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · authors · Read more on Wikipedia
Questions
How big is the Moustached Warbler?
The Moustached Warbler is about 12–13 cm long and weighs around 11 g.
Where does the Moustached Warbler live?
Its breeding range: Palearctic: southern. It is most often recorded in Spain, Israel and Türkiye.
When is the best time to see the Moustached Warbler?
At the hotspots we track, it is recorded most in March, April and November (Northern Hemisphere).
Is the Moustached Warbler endangered?
The IUCN Red List classifies the Moustached Warbler as Least Concern.
What does the Moustached Warbler eat?
Main food: Insects & other invertebrates.
What family is the Moustached Warbler in?
It belongs to the family Reed Warblers & Allies (Acrocephalidae), order Passerines (Passeriformes).
At a glance
- Length
- 12–13 cm
- Weight
- 11 g
- Habitat
- Wetland
- Diet
- Insects & other invertebrates
- Lifestyle
- Perches in trees
- Migration
- Migratory
- Conservation
- Least Concern
More measurements
- Wing
- 57 mm
- Tail
- 48 mm
- Bill
- 13 mm
- Tarsus
- 19 mm
Averages from the AVONET dataset; length from field guides where available.
Range
Palearctic: southern
Breeding range, IOC World Bird List 15.2
Subspecies · 1
- Acrocephalus melanopogon mimicus e Turkey to s Russia, Kazakhstan, nw China, Iran and Iraq
Classification
- Order
- Passerines Passeriformes
- Family
- Reed Warblers & Allies Acrocephalidae
- Genus
- Acrocephalus
Other birds in the genus Acrocephalus
Basra Reed WarblerAcrocephalus griseldis
Cape Verde WarblerAcrocephalus brevipennis
Greater Swamp WarblerAcrocephalus rufescens
Lesser Swamp WarblerAcrocephalus gracilirostris
Madagascar Swamp WarblerAcrocephalus newtoni
Seychelles WarblerAcrocephalus sechellensis
Rodrigues WarblerAcrocephalus rodericanus
Great Reed WarblerAcrocephalus arundinaceus
Oriental Reed WarblerAcrocephalus orientalis
Clamorous Reed WarblerAcrocephalus stentoreus
Australian Reed WarblerAcrocephalus australis
MillerbirdAcrocephalus familiaris
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Free to use with credit: “Illustration: Bird Album (birdalbum.com)”. Drawn by AI from a reference photo by kuzhelya. ↗
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