Page 322 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WARBLERS AND ALLIES
Order Passeriformes Family Sylviidae Species Sylvia cantillans
Subalpine Warbler pale blue-grey from red eye-ring
head to back
long, slim
short, grey tail bold white stripe
under grey cheeks
round
wings
white
edge MALE white ring
to tail around red pinkish red
eye-ring from chin
to breast
IN FLIGHT
whitish cheek
stripe paler belly
pale pink
throat
whitish
underside
yellowish
legs
FEMALE
MALE
everal Sylvia warblers of Europe occupy
Sthe southern regions, mostly around the
Mediterranean; the Subalpine Warbler is typical, inhabiting warm,
sun-bathed slopes and fields with rough, tangled hedges and thickets FLIGHT: short flights weak, quick, undulating, with
of aromatic shrubs and spiny bushes. It dives out of sight into the bursts of wingbeats.
spikiest of these and can be frustratingly elusive at
times, although it often appears on top and launches
into a brief, bouncy song-flight in full view. Females
are paler than adult males, which are easy to identify.
Females and immatures, which are even paler, are
more difficult, especially if they turn up as vagrants
farther north in autumn.
VOICE Call sharp, ticking or clicking tet, sometimes
quickly repeated; song high-pitched, Linnet-like,
musical warbling, fast, with quick variation in pitch.
WHITE
NESTING Small, neat cup nest in low vegetation; “MOUSTACHE”
3 or 4 eggs; 2 broods;April–June. Males, and sometimes females,
FEEDING Forages in low scrub and herbs, or higher have an obvious white stripe from
in leafy trees, searching for insects and spiders. the bill to the side of the throat.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds on bushy slopes, in low,
tangled hedges and thorny
dark head rufous on thickets, and in open, evergreen
darker of male wings
more oak woods in Spain, Portugal, and
uniform Mediterranean Europe, from April
to September. Migrants at times
greyer larger appear farther north in low, dense
undergrowth near coasts.
slimmer tail longer tail
DARTFORD WARBLER SARDINIAN WARBLER 32; WHITETHROAT 32; Seen in the UK
32; see p.321 see p.318 see p.319 JF M A M J JA S ON D
Length 12–13cm (4 3 ⁄4 –5in) Wingspan 13–18cm (5–7in) Weight 9–12g ( 11 ⁄32 – 7 ⁄16oz)
Social Solitary Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure
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