Habitat: Silted areas of reed beds, overgrown reed beds, willow thickets in marshes, damp hay meadows, ditch banks.

Appearance: In Europe, a common and widespread summer visitor in all kinds of wetlands, absent in southern France, Italy and Iberia. In Belgium and the Netherlands, numerous breeding birds – migratory – passage migrant in fairly small numbers.

Breeding season: May – August, nest in vegetation, 4 – 6 eggs.

Characteristics: Length 11.5 – 13 cm, wingspan 19 cm, weight 10 – 20 grams, age 6 years.

Food: Insects, other arthropods and their larvae.