[pacoraban]

Any help with identifying this warbler.

Thanks,
Ali

[Parker]

Hi Ali,

It looks like a Hippolais Warbler, possibly Sykes but again I'm not certain as it's a species I havn't seen.

Cheers, Neil.

[pacoraban]

Originally Posted by Parker

Hi Ali,

It looks like a Hippolais Warbler, possibly Sykes but again I'm not certain as it's a species I havn't seen.

Cheers, Neil.

Thank you Neil, I have the same assumption for Hippolais, But Sykes seems not to appear in middle-east or Iran as far as my books show. any suggestion?

[htcdude]

Not a Booted Warbler?

[Parker]

As far as I can see maybe Eastern Olivaceous & Upcher's seem the most likely, looking at the bill it looks to have a pinkish base which would favour Upcher's. I hope someone else can help with this one.

Cheers, Neil.

[KenM]

The bird is almost certainly a Hippolais!...and looks somewhat attenuated..perhaps much more so than you might expect from the caligata/sykes complex. However having said that, I don't know if it would be possible to seperate Upcher's from Olivaceous from this image.

cheers

[CAU]

Originally Posted by pacoraban

But Sykes seems not to appear in middle-east or Iran as far as my books show.

Sykes's Warbler is recently split from Booted Warbler and should occur throughout Iran. When e.g. "Birds of the Middle East" (by Porter et al.) was written it was considered to be a subspecies of Booted Warbler and is thus not included (except for a short mention in the text).

http://ibc.lynxeds.com/species/sykes...hippolais-rama

Regarding the subject bird, to me it looks more like an Eastern Olivaceous or possibly Sykes's Warbler than an Upcher's Warbler, as it doesn't look grey enough and the wings look quite pale.

[pacoraban]

The locality also matches Eastern Olivaceous. Thank you Neil for nailing it down right on spot and thanks to CAU for detailed insight, It was more than helpful.

[jogresh]

Hi, as mentioned it's probably not 100% identifiable from this photo, my gut feeling is Sykes' - but how did it behave? I've seen Sykes'/Booted (presumably Sykes') in Syria and they fed at ground level among tall grass, occasionally flying into low trees briefly. Booteds in Estonia (and Britain) did similar. All the E Ollies i've seen fed in bushes and trees.
Cheers.

[TringBirder]

Actually my experience of Sykes' in India is that they fed in trees and tall bushes not low down like Booted. I think Syria would have Booted, but not certain on that. I would expect Eastern Olivaceous to pump its tail regularly and call frequently as well - noticeably so.

[pacoraban]

Originally Posted by jogresh

Hi, as mentioned it's probably not 100% identifiable from this photo, my gut feeling is Sykes' - but how did it behave? I've seen Sykes'/Booted (presumably Sykes') in Syria and they fed at ground level among tall grass, occasionally flying into low trees briefly. Booteds in Estonia (and Britain) did similar. All the E Ollies i've seen fed in bushes and trees.
Cheers.

I saw it in a desert close to mountain foothills with only bushes as vegetation and no trees at all. It was secretive jumping from one bush to the other. closer to how E Ollies type of behavior per your explanation.

[jogresh]

Originally Posted by TringBirder

Actually my experience of Sykes' in India is that they fed in trees and tall bushes not low down like Booted. I think Syria would have Booted, but not certain on that. I would expect Eastern Olivaceous to pump its tail regularly and call frequently as well - noticeably so.

I was about 25 miles from the Iranian border, so assumed they'd be more likely Sykes', but i don't know for certain. Will just have to go back......
Movements and calls of the spp in question are certainly diagnostic. Ali, did you see them move their tails at all? The birds i had in Syria had a very striking call like 2 stones being tapped together, much more so than Stonechat even! E Ollies were also readily ID'd by voice, though i can't bring that one to mind right now.
Cheers.

[jogresh]

As a footnote to this, i've finally managed to find a recording of the call of Sykes' Warbler, and i'm 100% confident that it was what i heard at the time, which i noted as sounding exactly like 2 pebbles being tapped together. This is quite different to the thicker, hoarser call of Booted, and as has been mentioned, is one of the best ways to separate the 2 spp. Habitat perhaps not so reliable in Spring, as these were feeding in grass in between trips to the nearest bush. So perhaps not a totally unexpected ID, but still a first for Syria i believe!
Cheers.

[ammadoux]

you can't mistake the OW with his "tuck tuck" calls and the up-down tail movement, and these thing can not be seen in a shot.

but as i am having two and being watching them now for a week the first feel i got when i saw the shot is that it is an OW.