Savi’s Warbler

This bird is easier to hear than see. It emits a monotone buzz than can be confused with that of insects. It sings from the top of reeds or bushes, so you can challenge yourself by searching for this small mimetic bird.

It has very plain colouring with a brownish-red upper body and white-cream lower body that is darker on the sides and undertail. A slightly accentuated reddish-brown eyebrow and fan-shaped tail with a thick, long undertail. The sexes are similar. Total length: 14 cm. Wingspan: 18–21 cm. Weight: 11–21 g.

It mainly frequents marshy terrain with dense rushes mixed with other tangled aquatic vegetation and willow bushes, where it prefers the edges and emerging islands. It builds its nest near the water, using soaked leaves and stems that are concealed so well among the low vegetation that the nest is invisible.

In the Reserve, Savi’s warbler is typically present in summer, and can be seen between the end of March and beginning of September. The males counted after mid-May are ‘grouped’ in the western portion of the ‘Lame’. This species is in substantial regression. The Reserve is one of few environments in all of Lombardy where it nests with certainty. The nesting population has halved with respect to the early 1980s, and targeted investigations in the last five years have counted between 4 and 7 males.