Australian Reed Warbler

About the Australian Reed Warbler

The Australian reed warbler (Acrocephalus australis) is an acrocephalid warbler in the genus Acrocephalus and is the only Acrocephalus species native to Australia. It has also been observed in Papua New Guinea and nearby islands. The name Acrocephalus refers to the peaked crown found on reed warblers in this genus and can be translated to mean "topmost head" in Greek. The species name australis is translated to mean "southern" in Latin, and refers to the species range, Australia. In its western range the Australian reed warbler is also known as "Koordjikotji" (pronounced core'chee'caw'chee) in the local Aboriginal language of Perth and its surrounds.

Formerly placed in the then "wastebasket" family Sylviidae, the genus Acrocephalus is now included in the family Acrocephalidae, which encompasses 60 species in 7 genera widespread across Africa, Europe, Asia and the western Pacific regions. Within the Acrocephalidae, the Australian reed warbler is recognised as belonging to a monophyletic group consisting of Palearctic and Australasian region species. However, recent mitochondrial DNA analysis infers that pacific Acrocephalus warblers can be divided into two... Wikipedia →