Habitat use, moult and biometrics in the manchurian reed warbler acrocephalus tangorum wintering in Thailand

• Main Authors: Philip D. Round, Stephen J. Rumsey
• Other Authors: Mahidol University
• Format: Article
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Agricultural and Biological Sciences
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/20657

Manchurian Reed Warblers Acrocephalus tangorum wintering at Khao Sam Roi Yot, Thailand, were largely restricted to mature Phragmites reeds. The mean wing length (± sd) of 105 Manchurian Reed Warblers was 54.5 ± 1.41 mm. There was no evidence of differences in body weight in spring, autumn or winter. Both adults and first-winter birds underwent a complete moult soon after arrival in their winter quarters. Primary moult duration was estimated to be 59 days. Moult of secondaries was suspended in approximately one-third to one-fifth of birds, the few retained, old, unmoulted feathers usually being replaced later in the winter. No further moult was usually detected prior to northward spring migration. © 2003 British Trust for Ornithology.