Greenish warbler? Poland (1 Viewer)

[opisska]

A bird gives this song repeatedly, can't be seen
It's somewhat similar to Greenish Warbler which is normal here on Hel in this season, but it sounds strange to me.

https://youtu.be/bm6H2Dg6Kms

 

[lou salomon]

it's a wren, jan.

 

[opisska]

it's a wren, jan.

I was clearly not born for this I think I may have heard a Greenish Warbler there and then somehow did not notice that it's a different bird singing, because I just talked to locals and told them the exact place and they told me yes, there is a Greenish ... anyway, I just met a real one and it really sounds quite different. Luckily there are enough of theme here now to get several tries!

I have the problem of not having enough brain capacity for common songs. So I have for ezample easily found a Blyth's Reed Warbler today, a song that most people probably don't know, but a Wren caught me off guard

 

[opisska]

A Czech birder and amateur ornithologist who researches Greenish Warblers told me that this is within their vocal repertoir - they have a "Wren-like" song sometimes.

 

[lou salomon]

you may ask others too, but this is still a wren for me!

 

[BobbitWorm45]

and me

 

[opisska]

Do either of you have extensive experience with Greenish Warblers? Why are you so convinced they aren't able to believably mimic Wren song to the extent of this recording?

 

[lou salomon]

not extensive but i have heard greenish singing. and i have compared your recording with wren-like mimicking recordings, e.g. this: https://www.xeno-canto.org/375801. there is something in your song that doesn't appear in the mimicking birds, some very long and very high notes. and your song seems to be really loud, it echoes around the wood. greenish is not that loud. and the mimicking ones have an end-sillable like "siu" which already sounds like that species. not so in your recording.

 

[opisska]

Interesting! How people hear all of these details ... I was just arguing in another thread in favor of counting "heard only" birds, but I would simply refuse to count this one as either species. Still I find it interesting that the birder I was referring to, who spends every spring season (short, for this species) listening to Greenish Warblers, would not exclude it and I think people should consider it as a cautionary information

However I am surprised by your assessment that Greenish is not loud, that's definitely one of the loudest warblers I have ever met (maybe after Cetti's), I consider the loudness one of the best ways how to notice them. when we were looking for one in Warsaw, it could be heard across the park, hundreds of meters, on the background of city noise.

 

[BobbitWorm45]

I said it's a wren for me. You don't have to. I don't have experience personally of Greenish in the field but I've listened to the many recordings on xeno-canto to find a Greenish that sounds like the rich recording you provided. I can't find one. As I say, if it's Greenish you want, then it's Greenish you have.

 

[dwatsonbirder]

I think Lou has summed this up very well Jan, I can't hear anything within the recording which would suggest an aberrant Greenish warbler, or which would exclude Wren.
I agree with you with regards to the volume, all of the singing birds I've heard in Poland were fairly loud. I'm surprised that you've said there were lots on Hel during the spring passage - my understanding was that there are less than 50 pairs in Poland, and away from the south east, it's a scarce migrant? It is quite likely that I'm out of date though...

 

[opisska]

I think Lou has summed this up very well Jan, I can't hear anything within the recording which would suggest an aberrant Greenish warbler, or which would exclude Wren.
I agree with you with regards to the volume, all of the singing birds I've heard in Poland were fairly loud. I'm surprised that you've said there were lots on Hel during the spring passage - my understanding was that there are less than 50 pairs in Poland, and away from the south east, it's a scarce migrant? It is quite likely that I'm out of date though...

Greenish Warbler observations are on a sharp rise in the last years - not sure if due to an actual influx or due to a big increase of observers, I think both factors may be at play. Attached is the result for the search on Greenish Warbler in last two months on ornitho.pl (I think you need an active account regularly adding data to replicate that). In general, there were dozens reported by the various birder groups during the "rarity week" on Hel and I have heard the much more typical song at several places.

Just to be clear, I am not trying to convince anyone this is Greenish Warbler, I just find the whole thing interesting. I would actually be happier if this were a Wren, for the sake of the trip list

 

[HH75]

Hi Jan,
This is certainly a typical song strophe from a Eurasian Wren, for me. I don't have extensive experience with singing Greenish Warblers, but I have heard them in Kazakhstan and the somewhat similar Green Warbler in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and this surely isn't one unless it were to mimic Eurasian Wren completely and for an entire song strophe at that.
Regards,
Harry

 

[KenM]

FWIW a number of years ago a colleague and I found a Greenish Warbler on Blakeney Point end of May/June, it also sang from the top of a Sueda bush, and we commented on how the song sounded “similar” to Wren.

Have listened to the recording and most of it sounds like European Wren, although unsure of the introductory notes.

Cheers

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Greenish Warbler observations are on a sharp rise in the last years - not sure if due to an actual influx or due to a big increase of observers, I think both factors may be at play. Attached is the result for the search on Greenish Warbler in last two months on ornitho.pl (I think you need an active account regularly adding data to replicate that). In general, there were dozens reported by the various birder groups during the "rarity week" on Hel and I have heard the much more typical song at several places.

Thanks for that Jan, very interesting, very scattered records! Has the breeding population radiated out from the east as well?

 

[opisska]

Thanks for that Jan, very interesting, very scattered records! Has the breeding population radiated out from the east as well?

I know that breeding has been observed on Hel, not sure if only this year or also before, but from this year I have seen photos suggesting feeding

 

[PYRTLE]

I twitched a Spring Greenish Warbler in Kent many years ago. For the first few minutes we dismissed a song that we mistakenly took for a Wren, before sighting the songster warbler. After a while it became evident of the differences, Greenish being not as explosive or harsh.

For me, your recording is of a Wren.

Regards.

 

[Brian J Small]

Just for interest, a Wren-mimicking Greenish at Flamborough recently:-

https://twitter.com/johnnymacbirder/status/1271814315331522561

Brian

 

[jalid]

Typical Greenish Warbler song is not too difficult to separate from Wren song, but the species mimics Wren song quite often. Then it is so similar that it can be mistaken. I think all mimickers I have heard have switched between Wren song and normal song (but did not check that from notes). The habit of mimicking Wren is interesting and strange. Both species breed often in similar habitat, but I it hard to believe in any inter-specific territoriality, because they are otherwise very different birds.

 

[KenM]

Typical Greenish Warbler song is not too difficult to separate from Wren song, but the species mimics Wren song quite often. Then it is so similar that it can be mistaken. I think all mimickers I have heard have switched between Wren song and normal song (but did not check that from notes). The habit of mimicking Wren is interesting and strange. Both species breed often in similar habitat, but I it hard to believe in any inter-specific territoriality, because they are otherwise very different birds.

Presumably both species predate not dissimilar invertebrate prey, as to what advantage mimicking Wren a competitor might give it...I pass, however the presence of a resident species (wren) might be indicative of a good food supply thereabouts for a visiting “part-timer”....dunno?

Cheers