Page 445 - Complete Birds of Britain and Europe (DK - RSPB)

WARBLERS AND ALLIES
Family Sylviidae Species Sylvia sarda Family Sylviidae Species Acrocephalus paludicola
Marmora’s Warbler Aquatic Warbler
Similar to a Dartford Warbler (see p.321) in size, shape, Rare and declining, the Aquatic Warbler is much like
behaviour, and general character, Marmora’s Warbler a bright,strongly patterned Sedge Warbler (see p.322),
is a much more restricted bird in range. It is a greyer especially the immature Sedge that tends to have a pale
bird, the male rather plain smoky grey except for a crown stripe and some faint breast streaks resembling
paler throat, red bill base, red eye, and red legs. Females the marks on Aquatic.A peach-buff bird with streaks
are paler,duller but equally grey,with no trace of brown; of black and cream, it has a striped head with a sharply
immatures are just slightly tinged with olive-brown defined pale crown stripe. Fine streaks on the chest
above, a little less so on the wings than a juvenile and flanks are distinctive in summer.
Dartford Warbler, and a little paler, purer grey, A cream “V” on the back
on the throat than the commoner bird. is characteristic.
OCCURRENCE Scarce breeder in OCCURRENCE Rare breeder
Balearics, Corsica, and Sardinia; south of Baltic; regular but
very rare vagrant elsewhere. very rare migrant in
VOICE Dull, buzzy tshek or reedbeds in W Europe.
tsak notes; song quite soft, VOICE Short, metallic
fast rattling warble with tak; song varied, less black and
cream
brighter trill at end. energetic than stripes on
that of Sedge body
Warbler.
MALE
(SUMMER)
ADULT
Length 13–16cm (5–6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 25–30cm (10–12in) Length 12–13cm (4 3 ⁄4 –5in) Wingspan 17–19cm (6 1 ⁄2 –7 1 ⁄2in)

Family Sylviidae Species Locustella fluviatilis Family Sylviidae Species Locustella lanceolata
River Warbler Lanceolated Warbler
Small warblers with rounded tails, very long undertail The most-streaked Locustella species,this is a particularly
coverts, and rounded outer edges to the closed wings, secretive bird,creeping and hiding in the sparsest cover
the Locustella species have a thick, tapered rear end and and very difficult to watch. It looks like a small, dark
a sharp bill.Their songs are insect-like, prolonged Grasshopper Warbler (see p.328) with striped underparts
trillings: that of the River Warbler is the best way to (or in autumn at least a gorget of diffuse streaks) and
locate it.This is a dark brown bird, with whitish tail quite distinct, narrow dark spots under the tail (softer,
feather tips and a gorget of soft, brown streaks (unlike longer marks on Grasshopper).Narrower,more defined
Reed, Savi’s, or Cetti’s Warblers; see pp.324, 329, 330) pale edges to the tertials may aid identification but,
but a plain back (unlike Grasshopper or Sedge while typical ones are distinctive,there is a problem with
Warblers; see pp.328, 322). overlapping features with these two species.
OCCURRENCE Breeds in NE Europe OCCURRENCE Very rare but regular
from Baltic south to Black Sea; rare in vagrant in NW Europe, from
summer in W Europe. Siberia, in autumn.
plain
VOICE Song has back VOICE Short clicking call
rhythmic, fast, note, rarely heard.
hissing, mechanical
quality, tsi-tsi-tsi-
pale edges
tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi. to tertials
ADULT
ADULT
rounded
edge of
wings
Length 15–16cm (6–6 1 ⁄2in) Wingspan 8–9cm (3 1 ⁄4 –3 1 ⁄2in) Length 12cm (4 3 ⁄4in) Wingspan 15–16cm (6–6 1 ⁄2in)
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