Appearance:

Light grey upperparts, black wings and tail with white patches, white underparts and throat. Broad, black eyestripe not reaching above highest point of bill. Bill long and medium heavy (not as heavy as in Lesser GS). White patch at base of primaries varies according to subspecies. Black part of tail most narrow at base. Juveniles less pure in colour, with faintly barred underparts and buff fringes to greater coverts.

Sound:

Alarm call very harsh, nasal and noisy. Dry and not as deep or resonant as crows. Song varied. During breeding season a varied subdued song is heard from both sexes. Territorial call before breeding starts is simple, loud and resonant. Consisting of pleasant sounding single or double syllables, with well defined pauses and peculiar harmonics.

Territorial call/song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

Featherbase

CC

Sounds:Recorded by Jarek Matusiak,http://www.xeno-canto.org ,CC license

Appearance:

Similar to Reed Warbler but note very short primary projection, evenly coloured wings with dull tertials. Under tail-coverts almost white, with very little buff tinge. Legs overall darker than congeners. Immature birds with slightly paler legs and warmer upperparts and fringes to flight-feathers. Leaves a slimmer impression than Reed- and Marsh W., with flatter forehead and tapering bill. Posture often Sylvia-like with frequent cocking, flicking and fanning of tail.

Sound:

Contact call a short and sharp Lesser Whitethroat-like "tek", different from Mars W. Alarm call a dry, rolling "krrrreet", often with a register break splitting into high register overtones. Song recalls Marsh Warbler in timbre but is generally diagnostic. Tempo slow and deliberate, pace recalling that of Song Thrush, with marked pauses. Typical articulate, arpeggio-like whistling motifs alternated by mimicry are often repeated many times. Daytime song less typical than normal song at night, with faster pace and less repetition.

Song:

Distribution:

Xeno-canto: map

Ecology:

Birdlife ecology

Links:

Observation.org Latest observations

Video IBC

Image search Flickr NB! May give other species

Sound search at Xeno-canto

CC

Sound recording:Recorded by Edmunds Racinskis