Appearance:

Male with shiny black upperparts and pure white underparts. Female grey-brown with pale underparts. Both sexes with broad white edges to tertials and greater coverts, forming a broad white patch (largest in males). Fairly compact body compared to Spotted Flycatcher, with shorter tail and bill. Easily confused with Collared- and Semicollared Flycatcher where these occur. Both sexes differs from Semicollared in no white edges to end of tail and less white at base. Distinguished from Collared in white patch beneath alula being narrow and not reaching edge of wing (both sexes), white base of tail (black in Collared males) and no collar (males).

Sound:

Alarm call a sharp, energetic "wit", often in combination with a short "tic"; "whit-tic". Song a pleasant, tuneful, simple but varied phrase. Typically starts with disyllabic notes being repeated 3-5 times, diminishing in pitch and intensity like an echo of the first two syllables. Occasionally throws in a quick diagnostic ascending scale excercise. Clear notes and well defined pauses between phrases.

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

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Appearance:

Anonymously brown and dark brown warbler. Slender bill, short rounded wings and broad waist and tail. Base colour varies from olive-brown to yellowish buff. Streaking also varies from diffuse to marked, and is most prominent on sides of throat and upper chest. juveniles are more streaked than adults. Rufous/olive fringes to tertials are broader on outer side (as opposed to Pallas' Grasshopper Warbler). Secretive bird. Generally discovered by song.

Sound:

Song insect-like and high-pitched. A monotonous stream of even clicks similar to a running fishing line. Maintained for seemingly endless periods, and often hard to locate. Song most similar to Savi's Warbler but is slower (each click more separated), and higher pitched with a metallic, ringing quality. Short sequences of song also functions as contact call. Also a Robin-like "tick".

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