Basra Reed Warbler

Acrocephalus griseldis

The Basra reed warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) is a "warbler" of the genus Acrocephalus. It is an endemic breeder in East and southern Iraq, Kuwait, and Israel[1] in extensive beds of papyrus and reeds. It is easily mistaken for the great reed warbler but is a bit smaller, has whiter under parts and has a narrower, longer and more pointed bill. It winters in East Africa. It is a very rare vagrant in Europe. The call is a gruff 'chaar', deeper than a reed warbler's.

It is found in aquatic vegetation in or around shallow, fresh or brackish water, still or flowing, mainly in dense reedbeds. It is found in thickets and bushland when migrating or wintering.

In 2007, the species was discovered as a breeding bird in northern Israel.Due to the drainage of the Mesopotamian marshes throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, and the subsequent near destruction of its native habitat, the Basra Reed Warbler is considered an endangered species.