Australian Reed Warbler

The Australian reed warbler (Acrocephalus australis) is an Old World warbler in the genus Acrocephalus and is the only Acrocephalus species native to Australia. It has also been observed in Papua New Guinea and nearby islands. The name Acrocephalus refers to the peaked crown found on reed warblers in this genus and can be translated to mean "topmost head" in Greek. The species name australis is translated to mean "southern" in Latin, and refers to the species range, Australia. In its western range the Australian reed warbler is also known as "Koordjikotji" (pronounced core'chee'caw'chee) in the local Aboriginal language of Perth and its surrounds. == Taxonomy and evolution == The taxonomic classification of the family Sylviidae is unstable and requires further enquiry. At present, it includes Old World warblers, Old World babblers and allies, which comprises 680 species in 119 genera, a diverse group of small to medium passerine birds. Genus Acrocephalus sits within the subfamily Acrocephalinae, which encompasses 223 species in 36 genera. Within subfamily Acrocephalinae, the Australian reed warbler is recognised as belonging to a monophyletic group consisting of Palearctic and Australasian region species. However, recent mitochondrial DNA analysis infers that pacific reed warblers (Acrocephalus spp.) can be…