Appearance:

Very similar to Balearic Warbler but breeding range does not overlap. Also easily confused with sympatric Dartford Warbler due to similar build with long tail, high crown, short wings and spiky bill. Told from latter by all over lead-grey plumage, lacking vinous underparts. Female similar to male but lacks dark lore and throat is paler . Immature birds are very similar to immature Dartford Warbler and are best identified by call, but have less brown back, paler throat and dirtier and greyer underparts.

Sound:

Song hurried and similar to both Sardinian, Dartford and Spectacled Warbler, but is softer with more tinny timbre. Interwoven soft rolling "trrrrtrrr" usually become more prominent towards the end of each phrase which often is concluded by 3-4 clear whistling "wit". Alarm call a short, Stonechat-like and grating "treck", very different from both Balearic and Dartford Warbler.

Alarm call and 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

CC-photo:Wouter Van Gasse, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Wouter Van Gasse, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Kasper Hendriks, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Roland Wantia, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Large Sylvia with dark hood and pale iris (adult birds). Lacks red orbital ring of Sardinian Warbler. Tertials and coverts without pale fringes. Very similar to Eastern Orphean Warbler (S. crassirostris), but generally the distribution of the two do not overlap. Typical birds also show some differences in plumage like; no dark centres to under tail coverts and warm buff underparts, flanks and vent (variable). The border between the dark hood and grey neck is more diffuse, the back is browner and the bill slightly shorter. Young vagrants with poorly developed characters may be inseparable from S. crassirostris by appearance. Both species differ from Lesser Whitethroat by; stronger bill, no white crescents around eye and darker upper tail. Movements less agile than smaller congeners.

Sound:

Alarm call a short and sharp "tek" recalling Blackcap, often given in series. Also a dry, rasping "turrrr". Both calls are more or less identical to S. crassirostris. Song much more different from latter, but timbre of fluting sounds is similar, recalling that of Blue Rock Thrush. Overall the song is simpler than S. crassirostris, with shorter phrases, longer pauses and a more restricted register. Motifs consists largely of pleasant fluting, often dominated by alternation between two notes, and are often repeated with small variations.

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-photo:Agustín Povedano, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Jorrit Vlot, Licence,Link.