Appearance:

Small and slender Sylvia about the size of Lesser Whitethroat. The short wings, steep forehead and striking long tail alone is often enough for positive id. Upperparts dark slate grey, and underparts of male vinous red with finely white spotted throat. Female less brightly coloured with more brownish tones and less red underparts. Immature duller still, with brownish underparts rather than red. Yellow base of lower mandible in all ages and sex. Lacks the white moustache-stripe of Subalpine Warbler. Tail frequently held raised. Skulking behaviour. Prefers scrubs/Gorse and is usually only glimpsed when moving low from bush to bush, or when singing from more exposed perch.

Sound:

Contact call a diagnostic, very nasal "chirr", quite different from other Sylvia, and used freely. Warning call a har "tuc". Song similar to Sardinian Warbler, but usually identifiable by frequently interspersed contact calls. Phrases are quite short, and pauses are as long or longer than the actual phrases. Each phrase typicall starts and ends with a more tonal segment than the regular chattering.

Song (with 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:Marc Kolkman, Licence,Link.

CC-sound:Peter Boesman, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:chausinho, Licence,Link.

CC-Photo:Viskens Michel, Licence,Link.

CC-photo:Ximo Galarza i Planes, 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.