Tahiti Reed-warbler

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Tahiti Reed-warbler

Conservation status

Endangered (IUCN 3.1)

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Passeriformes
Family:	Acrocephalidae
Genus:	Acrocephalus
Species:	A. caffer

Binomial name

Acrocephalus caffer
(Sparrman, 1786)

The Tahiti Reed-warbler (Acrocephalus caffer) is a songbird in the genus Acrocephalus. Formerly placed in the "Old World warbler" assemblage (Sylviidae), it is now in the newly recognized marsh-warbler family Acrocephalidae. It is endemic to French Polynesia, and is sometimes known as the Polynesian Warbler.

There are numerous subspecies, but some have been elevated to full species rank in recent times. The nominate race Acrocephalus caffer caffer - the Tahiti Reed-warbler proper - is restricted to Tahiti, with a population of less than a thousand individuals. Other races include:

Eiao Polynesian Warbler, Acrocephalus caffer aquilonis
Hatutaa Polynesian Warbler, Acrocephalus caffer postremus
Huahine Polynesian Warbler, Acrocephalus caffer garretti - extinct (19th century?)
Raiatea Polynesian Warbler, Acrocephalus caffer musae - extinct (19th century?)

As a whole, the Polynesian Warbler was classified as a Vulnerable species by the IUCN^[1]. But new research has shown it to be rarer than it was believed, not the least because some populations have been split off this species. Consequently, it is uplisted to Endangered status in 2008^[2].