Appearance:

An almost featureless, large warbler with greyish brown upperparts and buff underparts. Lack of distinct characters is a character! Most distinct character is probably the faint, slate grey half-collar. Vent has no markings, eye is dark and bill is relatively short. Body quite plump, and facial expression gentle and mild. Usually stays hidden in foliage. Lacks nervous behaviour of other Sylvia, and does not normally flick its tail and wings.

Sound:

Song: a full bodied, flowing, melodious stream of notes, distinguished by its almost constant, warbled quality and lack of clear whistling notes (see Blackcap). Tempo is fairly even. Beware confusion possibility with occasional subsong of Blackcap that never reaches the whistling part! Call a nasal "che". Alarm call a hard "check", and a hoarse "tcherr".

Song:

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

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:Billy Lindblom, Licence,Link,

CC-photo:themadbirdlady, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Martha de Jong-Lantink, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Reedbed-living, dull coloured warbler with fan-shaped tail. Under tail coverts lacking pale fringes or markings. Vague and short supercilium. Differs from other locustella by unstreaked chest, back and under tail coverts. From Reed Warbler and Marsh Warbler by very long and buff under tail coverts, smaller head and pinkish legs.

Sound:

Song insect-like and high-pitched. A monotonous stream of even clicks similar to the whirring of a sewing machine. Song most similar to Grasshopper Warbler but faster (each click hard to distinguish), and lower pitched with less, ringing quality, due to less prominent high frequencies. At closer range a Robin-like, accelerating ticking is heard, introducing the actual 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

Featherbase

CC

CC-photo:sussexbirder, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Peter Hoppenbrouwers, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Marc Herremans, Licence,Link.