Page 334 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WARBLERS AND ALLIES
Order Passeriformes Family Sylviidae Species Hippolais polyglotta
Melodious Warbler

big dark eye
rather long, in pale face
round wings
thick, spiky
pale bill

grey-green pale yellow
trace of upperparts between eye
paler panel and bill (no
on wings dark line)
ADULT
yellow
IN FLIGHT JUVENILE throat and
breast

FLIGHT: rather weak, fluttering flight, usually over dull brown
short distances. legs
replacement of the more easterly Icterine Warbler ADULT
Ain southwest Europe, the Melodious Warbler is
confusingly similar. Both appear on west European
coasts as migrants and require care for reliable
separation, especially in autumn when juvenile
plumages further confuse the issue.The Melodious and
Icterine Warblers are basically green and
yellow birds while other Hippolais warblers SPRING SONG
The Melodious Warbler’s song is a
are duller, more pale brown and buff.The disappointment for a bird with this
Melodious has a plainer wing with a shorter name: it is a quick, rather
wingtip (primary feather) projection when uninspired, rambling warble.
perched than the Icterine.
VOICE Short clicks and sparrow-like
chattering; song fast, rambling, not very
accomplished warble, including rattling notes
and shrill whistles but generally not much
contrast in tone.
NESTING Deep cup in small branches of tree
or large bush; 4 or 5 eggs; 1 brood; May–July.
FEEDING Takes insects from foliage; pulls
berries from twigs in autumn.
OCCURRENCE
SIMILAR SPECIES Breeds in S and W Europe, France,
Spain, Portugal, and Italy. Present
ICTERINE WARBLER dark eye-stripe shorter bill from April to October, in light
see p.331 no trace
of yellow woodland, scrub, hedges, and
longer wings orchards, with spring (and less
with more often autumn) migrants on
obvious panel
W European coasts including
S Great Britain.
WILLOW WARBLER GARDEN WARBLER Seen in the UK
see p.333 see p.314 JF M A M J JA S O N D
Length 12–13cm (4 3 ⁄4 –5in) Wingspan 18–20cm (7–8in) Weight 11–14g ( 3 ⁄8 – 1 ⁄2oz)
Social Solitary Lifespan Up to 5 years Status Secure†
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