Appearance:

Small and short-winged Sylvia with large head and high crown. In all plumages; evenly warm rufous wing-panel (lacking dark centered greater coverts of Whitethroat), very short primary projection, dark tail, thin pointed bill, narrow dark centres to tertials, pure white chin and (incomplete) white eye-ring. Adult male with lead-grey head, dark/black lore and often grey lower throat. Female and immature differs from Whitethroat by short primary projection, smaller size, slender build and thinner bill. Told from immature Subalpine Warbler by warmer rufous wings with only narrow dark centres to tertials.

Sound:

Alarm call a dry, mechanical rattle; "trrrrrrrrrrrt", often rather long, but also given in pulses "trrrrrt-trrrt-trrrrrrrrr". More confluent and softer than similar call of Sardinian Warbler. Song rather weak and squeaky, but may be confused with several congeners. It typically starts with a few fluting notes then quickly giving way to fast alternating between clear tones and rattling pulses of "trrrrt". Phrases are short with marked pauses in between, and the structure is quite fixed even though each phrase is slightly different (in contrast to Sardinian and Subalpine Warbler). Sometimes bursts out in longer, more continuos flight-song.

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:Paul Cools, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Helen Commandeur, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

In all plumages recognized by its long tail, call, and choice of habitat (reeds). Male unmistakable, with bluish grey head, yellow bill and black drooping moustache. Females and juveniles mostly plain, yellow-brown with whitish underparts and no moustache. Young females with dark bill, young males with yellow bill and black lore. Juveniles with black patch on back and black outer tail feathers. Flight whirring and undulated. Sometimes fans tail in flight with twisting motions.

Sound:

More often heard than seen. Usually identified by contact call; a ringing, explosive "tschin" with a characteristic "dirty" timbre. Also a hard and very short "pit", often mixed with the previous. Song a primitive, 3-syllable phrase, consisting of contact call-like sounds.

Contact call:

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:sussexbirder, Licence,Link.