This species breeds in thick beds of reed (Phragmites particularly P. australis) on damp soil near water (Jennings 2010, Aspinall and Porter 2011). It also prefers this habitat during migration, but additionally uses any thick vegetation, bushes or undergrowth (Jennings 2010). There is no information available on its diet in the UAE, but elsewhere it mainly feeds on insects and spiders, which are taken from reeds or nearby vegetation, and occasionally on vegetable matter (Jennings 2010). The breeding period lasts from February to July or even longer, suggesting that the species is double-brooded (Jennings 2010). No nest has been described in the UAE, but elsewhere it is a deep cup neatly woven from split reed blades, reed inflorescences, plant down and grass stems and lined with finer material. It is suspended from two to eight vertical reed stems, usually 15-“200 cm over shallow water. Outside Arabia, clutches can be three to five eggs, but are most commonly four.