Appearance:

Small, warm buff warbler with skulking behaviour, but conspicuous song. Similar in size to Reed Warbler, but with short, rounded wings and rounded tail. Build fairly compact, but bill thin and slender. Supercilium thin and dull. Cheeks and underparts greyish white, lacking the purer white belly of confusion species. Pale eye-ring. Under tail-coverts usually brown with pale fringes. Often flicks tail or holds it raised. Usually hides among undergrowth, and shows itself only when moving from one shrub to another.

Sound:

Contact call a short, metallic, ascending "vitt". Often given in rapid series. Song diagnostic, and readily given throughout the year. Phrases last from 2 - 5 seconds, consisting of a few loud, clear and rapid glissandi, given in approximately same register. E.g. "cetti cetti cetti", usually with a few introductory notes, and some variation to the phrase. Overall a very explosive, and with a staccato rhythm.

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:Agustín Povedano, Licence,Link.

Appearance:

Anonymous, indistinct plumage and secretive behaviour makes it an easily overlooked bird (except when singing). Upperparts brown-grey, tail rufous brown. Underparts dull white. Throat with faint streaking on each side. Very similar in appearance to Nightingale, but tail is not as rufous, and contrasts more with the grayer/brownish back. Overall more drab appearance. Thrush-like behaviour despite the small size, with jumping gait, raised tail and drooping wings.

Sound:

Alarm call alternates between a thin, high pitched, "piuu", and a characteristic dry, rattling, frog-like "rrrrr". Song a highly distinct mix of extremely resonant, full-bodied notes and species specific, dry, rolling, rattling sounds. Can only be confused with Nightingale, but lacks this species' interwoven series of slightly ascending, plaintive notes.

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