Savi's Warbler or Cetti’s Warbler? (1 Viewer)

[oleg2oleg]

Hi! Need your help with this warbler. It was in the bushes, about 100 meters from the lagoon, where I heard Savi's Warbler. April, 5th. Krasnodar region, Novorossiysk, Russia
Thank you!!

 

[Butty]

Note masssive undertail-coverts. Thus not Cetti's warbler.

 

[Southern Viking]

@Tis a Savi's as Butty implies/explains

 

[oleg2oleg]

Note masssive undertail-coverts. Thus not Cetti's warbler.

@Tis a Savi's as Butty implies/explains

Ok, thank you!!!

 

[PYRTLE]

I'm guessing the song rules out River Warbler?

 

[Butty]

No bird was seen singing - hence the point of this thread. I'm guessing that the strong rufous tone of the upperparts rules out river warbler, even though the extent of the pale fringing on the undertail-coverts and the obscure streaking on the chest/throat might seem to favour river warbler. Others might care to comment.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Hello,

I agree with all that this is a Savis Warbler, by the upperpart tone and:

in many (at least*) River Warblers the pattern of the undertail-coverts is more evident/prominent.
Exzellent picture quality shows that only the (center of the) tips are paler.The paler tip should be more demarcated and broader, resulting in striped pattern.
Same with the breast: your bird has a streaked throat, but only a diffuse pattern on the breast. In many (*) River Wablers the breast is more streaked than here or they have a heavier clouded pattern.

* I have seen quite a few River Warbler in the last years, but not enough to be sure oft variation.

 

[PJSharp]

No bird was seen singing - hence the point of this thread. I'm guessing that the strong rufous tone of the upperparts rules out river warbler, even though the extent of the pale fringing on the undertail-coverts and the obscure streaking on the chest/throat might seem to favour river warbler. Others might care to comment.

I look at the ID threads to learn, I am not expert enough to offer a strong view on the ID of this bird for sure. So I also am interested to hear other's views.

If I saw this bird in the UK where I do most of my birding I wouldn't have ID'd it as a Cetti's Warbler, and I am not sure I would have got to Savi's either. My first thought was Nightingale, perhaps Thrush Nightingale - the rufous tone to the tail and obscure streaking on chest, plus general jizz.

I assume the under tail covert pattern rules that out though? That pattern and the breast streaking do seem a better fit for River Warbler. I would have expected to see more of a supercilium on a Savi's, but take Butty's comment about the rufous tone to the upper parts.

Happy birding, Paul

 

[kuzeycem]

It is a Savi's; throat-streaking and the somewhat strong pattern of the UTCs are both within variation and apparently more regular in ssp. fusca.
Also note the more russet coloration and thinner bill than River.

 

[Butty]

I assume the under tail covert pattern rules [nightingales] out though?

Sure the pattern, but more so the structure: nightingales don't have these massively-long undertail-coverts.

 

[HH75]

Sure the pattern, but more so the structure: nightingales don't have these massively-long undertail-coverts.

It's got those typical curved outer primaries seen on some Locustella species, too, which nightingales don't show.

 

[PJSharp]

It's got those typical curved outer primaries seen on some Locustella species, too, which nightingales don't show.

Thank you all for your helpful replies, much appreciated.

 

[Earnest lad]

I would give my eyes tooth for that sighting and photos

 

[KenM]

Hi! Need your help with this warbler. It was in the bushes, about 100 meters from the lagoon, where I heard Savi's Warbler. April, 5th. Krasnodar region, Novorossiysk, Russia
Thank you!!

Great shots oleg! 👍