• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Distribution map
• Reference and further resources

Taxonomic source(s)
AERC TAC. 2003. AERC TAC Checklist of bird taxa occurring in Western Palearctic region, 15th Draft. Available at: http://www.aerc.eu/DOCS/Bird_taxa_of_the_WP15.xls.
del Hoyo, J., Collar, N.J., Christie, D.A., Elliott, A., Fishpool, L.D.C., Boesman, P. and Kirwan, G.M. 2016. HBW and BirdLife International Illustrated Checklist of the Birds of the World. Volume 2: Passerines. Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, Barcelona, Spain and Cambridge, UK.

Red List criteria met

Critically Endangered	Endangered	Vulnerable
-	A3c	A3c

Red List history

Year	Category	Criteria
2022	Endangered	A3c
2016	Endangered	A3c
2012	Endangered	A2c+3c+4c
2008	Endangered	A2c; A3c; A4c
2006	Endangered
2004	Endangered
2000	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1994	Lower Risk/Near Threatened
1988	Lower Risk/Least Concern

Migratory status	full migrant	Forest dependency	does not normally occur in forest
Land-mass type	continent	Average mass	-

	Estimate	Data quality
Extent of Occurrence (breeding/resident)	682,000 km2	medium
Extent of Occurrence (non-breeding)	2,040,000 km2	medium
Number of locations	11-100	-
Severely fragmented?	no	-

	Estimate	Data quality	Derivation	Year of estimate
Population size	1500-7000 mature individuals	poor	suspected	2022
Population trend	stable	medium	suspected	-
Rate of change over the future 10 years/3 generations (longer of the two periods)	50-79%	-	-	-
Generation length	2.92 years	-	-	-
Number of subpopulations	1	-	-	-
Percentage of mature individuals in largest subpopulation	100%	-	-	-

Population justification: A crude estimate of the breeding population in Iraq between 2006 and 2011 was 4,500 pairs (Nature Iraq 2017). The authors of this estimate stress that caution should be taken with this estimate, and so the population is placed in the range of 2,500-9,999 individuals. This is equivalent to 1,667-6,666 mature individuals, rounded here to 1,500-7,000 mature individuals.

Trend justification: In the past, a very rapid and ongoing population decline was suspected from declines in ringing records of migrating birds, as well as the loss of the species' marshland breeding habitat. At Ngulia ringing station (Kenya), the average decadal ringing total for this species has been declining over the last three decades relative to the average decadal total for all Palearctic passerine migrants (by c.20% per decade) (D. Pearson in litt. 2003), with fewer than 5 ringed in 2014 (Ngulia Ringing Group in litt. 2014). This suggests that a decline of up to 70-80% may have taken place since the 1970s (D. Scott in litt. 2003, M. Evans in litt. 2003). However, the ringing methodology has changed somewhat during this period (D. Pearson verbally 2000, in litt. 2003) and even fewer birds might be expected in Kenya given the very high rate of destruction of the Mesopotamian marshes (D. Pearson in litt. 2003). 
Following the regeneration of habitat in southern Iraq, surveys from 2006 to 2011 show a population of c. 4,500 pairs (Nature Iraq 2017), and a total of 180 birds ringed at Ngulia in November-December 2005 was the second highest annual total at the site (R. Porter in litt. 2006), and it is clear that the species has undergone a genuine recovery (Nature Iraq 2017; M. Salim, S. A. Abed and R. Porter in litt. 2020). The population is suspected to have been roughly stable since 2006-2011 estimates (M. Salim and L. A. Al-Obeidi in litt. to R. Porter 2016), and it is clear that the species has undergone a genuine recovery (Nature Iraq 2017; M. Salim, S. A. Abed and R. Porter in litt. 2020), whilst there is also evidence of birds moving to alternative, marginal habitats (M. Salim and S. A. Abed  in litt. 2020).
However, since 2010 there have been droughts of various severity, some of which have coincided with the species' breeding season (M. Salim and S. A. Abed  in litt. 2020). This, in combination with uncertainty over future water management (M. Salim and L. A. Al-Obeidi to R. Porter in litt. 2016), including building of dams in Turkey that restrict the flow of feed-water to the marshes from the Tigris and Euphrates, as well as the effects of global warming, is thought to reduce available breeding habitat in the future (N. Fazaa and R. Porter in litt. 2020). Therefore, although the current population trend is considered to be stable, it is suspected that the potentially significant impact from future threats could cause very rapid declines in the next ten years.

Country/Territory	Presence	Origin	Resident	Breeding visitor	Non-breeding visitor	Passage migrant
Botswana	extant	vagrant			yes
Egypt	extant	vagrant				yes
Ethiopia	extant	native			yes	yes
Iran, Islamic Republic of	extant	native		yes
Iraq	extant	native		yes
Israel	extant	native		yes
Kenya	extant	native			yes	yes
Kuwait	extant	native		yes
Malawi	extant	native			yes
Mozambique	extant	native			yes
Saudi Arabia	extant	native				yes
Somalia	extant	native			yes	yes
South Sudan	extant	native				yes
Sudan	extant	native			yes	yes
Syria	extant	vagrant				yes
Tanzania	extant	native			yes	yes
Uganda	extant	native				yes

Country/Territory	IBA Name
Ethiopia	Gambella National Park
Ethiopia	Koka dam and Lake Gelila
Ethiopia	Lake Abe wetland system
Iraq	Auda Marsh
Iraq	Central Marshes
Iraq	Dalmaj Marsh
Iraq	East Hammar
Iraq	Fao
Iraq	Gharraf River
Iraq	Hawizeh
Iraq	Hindiya Barrage
Iraq	Ibn Najm
Iraq	North Ibn Najm
Iraq	West Hammar
Kenya	Lake Naivasha
Kenya	Lower Tana River Forests
Kenya	Tana River Delta
Kenya	Tsavo East National Park
Kenya	Tsavo West National Park
Somalia	Laag Badaana

Habitat (level 1)	Habitat (level 2)	Importance	Occurrence
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Artificial/Aquatic - Canals and Drainage Channels, Ditches	suitable	breeding
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Artificial/Aquatic - Wastewater Treatment Areas	suitable	passage
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Artificial/Aquatic - Water Storage Areas (over 8ha)	suitable	passage
Savanna	Dry	suitable	non-breeding
Shrubland	Subtropical/Tropical Moist	major	non-breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Freshwater Springs and Oases	suitable	passage
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Lakes (over 8ha)	major	breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Freshwater Marshes/Pools (under 8ha)	suitable	breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Inland Deltas	major	breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Rivers/Streams/Creeks (includes waterfalls)	suitable	breeding
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent Saline, Brackish or Alkaline Marshes/Pools	suitable	breeding
Altitude	0 - 1000 m	Occasional altitudinal limits

Threat (level 1)	Threat (level 2)	Impact and Stresses
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Agro-industry farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Agriculture & aquaculture	Annual & perennial non-timber crops - Small-holder farming	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Biological resource use	Gathering terrestrial plants - Unintentional effects (species is not the target)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Causing/Could cause fluctuations		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Climate change & severe weather	Droughts	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Whole (>90%)		Rapid Declines		High Impact: 8
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Energy production & mining	Renewable energy	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Human intrusions & disturbance	War, civil unrest & military exercises	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Past, Likely to Return		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Past Impact
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Natural system modifications	Dams & water management/use - Abstraction of surface water (domestic use)	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Majority (50-90%)		Rapid Declines		Medium Impact: 7
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion
Pollution	Domestic & urban waste water - Sewage	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Negligible declines		Low Impact: 4
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas	Timing		Scope		Severity		Impact
		Ongoing		Minority (<50%)		Slow, Significant Declines		Low Impact: 5
		Stresses Ecosystem degradation, Ecosystem conversion

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Species factsheet: Basra Reed-warbler Acrocephalus griseldis. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/factsheet/basra-reed-warbler-acrocephalus-griseldis on 23/11/2024.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2024) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/species/search on 23/11/2024.