SAFRING results

Great Reed Warbler Acrocephalus arundinaceus

1. Numbers ringed with SAFRING rings, 1948-2002

• Total ringed: 2171
• First ringed: 1958/59
• Trapping method: Mistnets, walk-in traps, nestlings, Rehabilitated birds

Number of Great Reed Warbler ringed per year with SAFRING rings

2. Computerised records, 1975-2002

Note: electronic records sent by ringers were extracted; no attempt was made to computerise other records.

• Number of records:1594
• Ring sizes used:56 with 2 prefix, 1 with 622 prefix, 1 with A1 prefix, 18 with AA prefix, 2 with AE prefix, 2 with AF prefix, 688 with BB prefix, 88 with BC prefix, 584 with BD prefix, 21 with BE prefix, 11 with BH prefix, 38 with CC prefix, 4 with CV prefix, 7 with E prefix, 57 with F prefix, 9 with FA prefix, 1 with FH prefix, 3 with GA prefix, 1 with Y prefix, 2 with zBD prefix,
• Recommended ring size: 3 mm Incoloy or Stainless steel or Aluminium Alloy
• Top ringers: 111 ringers; top 5 ringers:
• Bird age distribution:Unknown (212), Nestling (0), Juvenile (86), Immature (44), Adult (1158), 0-6 months (24), 6-12 months (68), 1-2 years (2), 2-3 years (0), 3+ years (0)
• Bird sex distribution:
• Markings: Metal only (1589), Colour rings (0), Wing Tag (0), Nasal saddle (0), Collar (0), Harness (0), Dyes(0), Dyes & colour rings (0), Radio/transponder (0), Satellite (0), Canadian (0)
• Condition: Good (1589), Kept for expt before release (0), Rehabilitated(0), Artificially reared (0), Released away from capture place (0), Oiled and cleaned (0),
• Note: the latter 3 categories may be under-represented due to incorrect recording on the schedules or data entry to computer

• Birds ringed per region:

  Locality	n
  Malawi	436
  Gauteng, South Africa	374
  Botswana	295
  Zimbabwe	179
  KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa	93
  Northwest Province, South Africa	71
  Namibia	41
  Free State, South Africa	36
  Mpumulanga, South Africa	29
  Limpopo Province, South Africa	23
  Swaziland	7
  Eastern Cape, South Africa	3
  Zambia	2
  Mozambique	2

Map of localities where Great Reed Warbler have been ringed, 1975-2002

3. Biometrics and moult for Great Reed Warbler

Mass data (g)

Age	n	Min	Mean	Max
Adult male	84	23	30.9	39
Adult female	75	23	29	45.4

Wing length (mm) & vbCrLf

Age	n	Min	Mean	Max
Adult male	84	96	99.8	104
Adult female	75	90	93.8	97

Moult data

Primary moult from February to March.

4. Recovery history (SAFRING's database)

• Number of recoveries: 1 recoveries and 80 recaptures
• Greatest distance: 140 km (62215152)
• Greatest elapsed time: 8y 1m 12d (BB00900)
• Causes of mortality of ringed birds:
• Rest unknown

5. Ringing references

Klages N. 2003. Ringing record of Great Reed Warbler. Bee-eater 54(3):41.

6. Research