Taxonomic notes:

This species ranges from Avoca and Mount Edgecombe in KwaZulu-Natal (eastern South Africa) northward through the coastal belt of Mozambique, the low altitude parts of Malawi to Tanzania (inland as far as Singida and Ushora), southeastern Kenya, and southern Somalia as far north as Marere. It also occurs on Zanzibar. Though its presence is uncertain in Swaziland, its species distribution on the map does include Swaziland. It is a low altitude species, and is found below 300 m asl in South Africa, and below 500 m asl in most of its range.

It is a species of coastal bush land; savannah, shrubland, grassland, forest, thicket and anthropogenically disturbed habitats. It breeds in emergent vegetation usually at the edges of relatively permanent water (including marshes, vleis and pools) favouring plants with long leaves that can be folded to make leaf nests over water.

It is common in the north of its range, where it occurs in very large breeding aggregations, but it has declined in extreme south of range where it is not common (though it is possibly under-recorded).

There are no reports of this species being utilized.

In the south of its range it is threatened by sugar cane farming, urbanization, and the spread of eucalyptus (drying up breeding sites). Chemical spraying to control mosquitoes might impact some populations. However, overall it is not threatened.

• 9.3.3 Herbicides and pesticides
• 2.1.3 Agro-industry farming
• 1.2 Commercial & industrial areas
• 1.1 Housing & urban areas
• 8.1.2 Named species

It occurs in many protected areas.

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, tolerance of a broad range of habitats and its presumed large population.

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