Savi's warbler is a species of Old World warbler in the genus Locustella. It breeds in Europe and the western Palearctic. It is migratory, wintering in northern and sub-Saharan Africa.
Region
Europe and western Palearctic
Typical Environment
Breeds widely in temperate Europe from Iberia and France through central and eastern Europe to western Asia, with scattered populations in North Africa. Strongly tied to wetlands, especially large reedbeds, cattail stands, and dense marsh edges. Winters in northern and sub‑Saharan Africa, favoring lush river margins and seasonal floodplains. During migration it uses any wetland with dense cover and may appear in coastal reed fringes and deltas.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 1500 m
Climate Zone
Temperate
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 1/5
Named after Italian naturalist Paolo Savi, this skulking warbler is more often heard than seen. Its song is a long, insect-like reeling trill delivered from concealed perches in reedbeds. It depends on extensive, undisturbed wetlands with dense emergent vegetation. Conservation efforts that maintain reedbeds and stable water levels benefit this species.
Singing from an alder tree
Locustella luscinioides - MHNT
Adult with nest
Temperament
secretive and skulking
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats, low over vegetation
Social Behavior
Generally solitary and territorial in the breeding season; males sing persistently from concealed perches within reeds. Nests are placed low among dense stems, woven from grasses and reed leaves. Pairs are seasonal and provide parental care at the nest.
Migratory Pattern
Seasonal migrant
Song Description
A continuous, mechanical reeling trill reminiscent of an insect, often sustained for many seconds or minutes. The tone is steady and carries well over wetlands, deeper and more even than the Grasshopper Warbler’s song.
Plumage
Uniform, unstreaked warm-brown upperparts with slightly paler, buff-grey underparts; long, rounded tail often held cocked; fine, pointed bill.
Diet
Primarily small invertebrates, including beetles, moths and their larvae, flies, caddisflies, and spiders. It gleans prey from reed stems, leaves, and low vegetation, and occasionally picks items from the ground or shallow water margins. Opportunistically takes other small arthropods when abundant.
Preferred Environment
Feeds within dense emergent vegetation such as reeds and cattails, along marsh edges, ditches, and wet meadows. Often forages close to cover, rarely venturing into open areas.
