Appearance:

Rather large and heavily built Sylvia with dark hood and pale iris (in adults). Lacks red orbital ring of Sardinian Warbler. Very similar to Western Orphean Warbler (S. hortensis), but usually distinguished from that geographically by different breeding and wintering range, and also by appearance in typical birds (in addition to song). The following field marks differs from S. hortensis; dark centres to under tail coverts and whiter underparts with very little buff tones (slightly buff flanks in some). Other more variable traits are; dark hood more distinctly bordered in neck, colder grey upperparts and longer, more curved bill. Vagrant immature birds outside of normal distribution may be impossible to tell from S. hortensis. Apart from size, it differs from Lesser Whitethroat by; stronger bill, lack of incomplete white eye-ring, darker upper tail and above mentioned under tail coverts.

Sound:

Contact call a short "check", sometimes in series. When agitated a nasal, rattling "trrrr-trrrr-trrrr". Both calls very similar to S. hortensis. Song distinct, but with same quality of fluting sounds as in S. hortensis, recalling that of Blue Rock Thrush in timbre. Phrases often long and much more varied and impressive, with frequent mimicry. May be mistaken for Nightingale, but incorporates more dry trills, is slower, harder and lacks the diagnostic series of plaintive notes (may mimic it!).

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

CC-sound:Mehmetunlu, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Paul Cools, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Mattias Hofstede, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Mick Sway, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Pinkish red (male) or greyish brown (female) underparts, and slate grey upperparts. Bill short and deep. Hood, tail, wings, bill and base of bill shiny black. Pure white rump and vent, together with white wing-bars prominent in flight. Wings and tail relatively long. Juveniles lacks black hood. Flight strongly undulated. Not so hurried as other finches when foraging.

Sound:

Contact call a soft, full-bodied, descending, pure whistle; "peeuu". Song a quiet, modest mix of contact call and various chirping sounds, with peculiar harmonics.

Contact 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