Skip to main content

Aquatic Warbler

Acrocephalus paludicola
Today's animal is one of the most threatened Passerine birds in Europe, and is listed as Vulnerable by the IUCN. The species was once widespread and numerous, found in wetland areas throughout the continent. At present, the Warblers are restricted to only a few dozen sites across six countries, and it is estimated that there are less than 12,000 males left.

So why are these once abundant birds now threatened with extinction? It all has to do with their habitat needs. Aquatic Warblers live in very specific marshes and fen mires, and as those areas are taken over by human activity, the Warblers have no where to go. The only breeding populations left are found in Eastern Europe, and luckily there have been efforts made to maintain the habitats that are still viable.

But it isn't just their breeding sites that need protecting-- Aquatic Warblers migrate up to 7,500 miles (12,000km) every year to Sub-Saharan Africa. Their stopover points need protection as well, and so do their wintering grounds. Until recently, no one knew where the birds did their wintering, but a site was discovered in Senegal that houses up to 10,000 birds each year (potentially half the worldwide population). Obviously it will be very important to keep this site preserved as well, and promotional efforts are being made to do so.

So now that conservation measures have been discussed, we can move on to some other facts. Aquatic Warblers have a really fascinating breeding system. From May to July, the males fly about and sing as loudly as they can, trying to attract as many females as possible. They have no parental duties, so they are free to advertise themselves continuously. But don't think that the males are the only ones to have more than one mate! Females will also breed multiples times, and around 60% of all broods are fathered by more than one individual!

Aquatic Warblers are insectivores, though they do sometimes eat fruits as well.
IUCN Status : Vulnerable
Location : Europe, Asia
Size : Length up to 5in (13cm)
Classification : Phylum : Chordata -- Class : Aves -- Order : Passeriformes
Family : Acrocephalidae -- Genus : Acrocephalus -- Species : A. paludicola
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Bornean Orangutan

The Bornean Orangutan is one of two extant Orangutan species in the world. It is the third largest primate (after Gorillas) and is the largest primarily tree-dwelling animal in the world. Males are substantially larger than females, and average at around 165lbs. Bornean Orangutans are largely solitary. A handful might live within a small range but they will seldom interact with one another. Males and females only meet up to breed, which happens only once every several years. A young Orangutan will stay with it's mother for about five years, and the females tend to go about eight years between births. That is the longest interim period of any animal! Sadly, the Bornean Orangutans are in a lot of trouble. They need large forests in order to thrive, and deforestation and habitat degradation has left many homeless. They are also hunted for meat and for traditional medicines. Conservation areas are being established to help these guys in the wild, and it is believed that there are a...
59 comments
Read more

Halloween Crab

Gecarcinus quadratus The Halloween Crab goes by many names, including the Red Land Crab, Whitespot Crab, and Moon Crab. I personally like Halloween Crab though, since it really reflects the interesting colors. They have black carapaces, orange-red legs, and purple claws! Halloween Crabs live in the Pacific coast mangroves and forests of Central and South America. They actually live in the forests as adults, and return to the ocean in order to reproduce. Did you know that they live as far away as 18 miles (30km)  from water? Not where you normally think Crabs to be! While living in the forest, the Crabs forage nocturnally for different plant matter, including leaves and sapling. They also dig long burrows into the ground for protection. These burrows can measure nearly 5 ft long! Halloween Crabs are sometimes kept in captivity, and can be very tricky pets due to their excellent climbing skills. IUCN Status :  Not Listed ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Four!

For anyone who was counting, yesterday was our birthday-- four years! Four years filled with animals from A to Z, more than 1,100 of them! I can't thank my readers enough, it's been wonderful! And in celebration of that milestone... I'm taking a break. Hopefully not forever, but for a little bit at least. In the mean time I plan on getting a new layout out, along with some updates to some of the older articles. I'll post updates here and on the Facebook page, I'm also brainstorming some new animal-related projects, so keep an eye out! Thanks again for four awesome years!
18 comments
Read more