Blyth’s reed warbler
Migratory Birds (Species-3)
One of the most abundantly found warbler during winter, in Indian subcontinent, is Blyth’s reed warbler. It is named after Edward Blyth who was the curator of the museum of the Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal in 19th century.
They breed mainly in eastern Europe and spend the winter in Indian subcontinent where the winter is milder. I was totally ignorant about them before I started birdwatching seriously. But when I started to visit the birding hotspots in winter, I couldn’t ignore their presence which was very evident from their high-pitched ‘thek-thek’ call. It was not extremely difficult to spot them, but to photograph them was really a pain in the ass! They are so restless! The picture below is the result of 20 minutes continuous chase through the bushes at Chetla Forest .
They love bushy, shrubby areas and always on move. Chetla Forest and Rabindra Sarobar attract a large population of Blyth’s reed warblers (including several other types of warblers) each winter due to the presence of many babla (বাবলা) (Vachellia nilotica) trees there. From my experience I can say that it is one of the favourite trees for the Blyth’s reeds.
Bengali Name
Not known.
Male – Female Distinction
Males and females are similar.
General Behaviors
- Love bushy, shrubby trees and areas.
- Very active bird species, always on move.
- Feed on insects.
- Have a very loud ‘thek-thek-thek’ call
Places where I have found them
- Rabindra Sarobar Lake
- Chetla Forest
- My home
- Taratola Nature Park
- Rajarhat
