Appearance:

Slender warbler with long tail, short wings and pointed bill. Restless and alert with frequently raised crown feathers and dark eye framed in red. Male with black head, white throat, greyish upperparts and off-white underparts. Female less striking, with grey head grey-brown upperparts, distinct buff flanks and paler belly. Both sexes with white sides and corners to tail. Rarely sits exposed, and usually betrays itself by it's frequently used scolding call. Often just glimpsed when it dives into a bush, spreading it's tail and showing the white markings.

Sound:

Epitome of mediterranean sylvias, and learning the songs of the genus should start with extensive listening to this species (use xeno-canto link below). Scolding call a machinegun-like, short and harsh rattle. Usually consisting of 2-5 notes with some variation in timbre and delivery. Song a stream of varied, short notes, constantly interspersed with variations of the scolding call. Phrases 2-5 sec. long. Easily confused with several other sylvias, especially in the eastern part of the Mediterranean. Rattling sound (in both song and call) differs from most other congeners by being considerably harder and more "smacking". Dartford Warbler most similar, but usually betrays itself by it's characteristic and frequently used contact call (also interspersed when singing).

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

Appearance:

Forked and fairly long tail. Clearly bigger than Storm Petrel, with more slender appearance and longer wings. Generally not as black, and shows brownish tone to plumage. The white rump patch is oval, has a weak grey center stripe, and does not reach as far down on the sides as in Storm Petrel. Light grey upper greater coverts form a wing-band. Underside of wings all dark. Flight pattern variable, with frequent changes in direction and speed. Sometimes glides like a shearwater but at other times shows surprisingly deep wing-beats. Does not patter surface, but will rest on water. Visits breeding ground only at night, and is usually only seen after storms.

Sound:

Only calls at breeding ground. A series of accentuated cooing, interrupted by a squeaky "inbreath" and a loud, absurd, fanfare-like "kaaa-ka-ka-kaaa-ka".

Calls:

Distribution:

Wikipedia: map (se also Xeno-canto below)

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-sound:Steph, Licence,Link.