TheBasra reed warbler (Acrocephalus griseldis) is a "warbler" of the genusAcrocephalus. It is anendemic breeder in theTigris–Euphrates river system in southwesternIran, eastern and southernIraq,Kuwait, though has also recently colonised wetlands inIsrael^[2] in extensive beds ofpapyrus andreeds. It is easily mistaken for thegreat reed warbler but is a bit smaller, has whiter underparts and has a narrower, longer and more pointed bill. It ismigratory, wintering inEast Africa. It is a very rare vagrant inEurope. The call is a gruffchaar, deeper than areed warbler's.

Basra reed warbler
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Acrocephalidae
Genus:	Acrocephalus
Species:	A. griseldis
Binomial name
Acrocephalus griseldis (Hartlaub, 1891)
Distribution of Basra reed warbler   Breeding   Non-breeding

It is found in aquatic vegetation in or around shallow, fresh or brackish water, still or flowing, mainly in dense reedbeds. It is found in thickets and bushland when migrating or wintering.

In 2007, the species was discovered as a breeding bird in northern Israel.^[3][4]

Due to the drainage of the Mesopotamian marshes throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, and the subsequent near destruction of its native habitat, the Basra reed warbler is considered anendangered species.^[5]