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Upcher's Warbler - BirdForum Opus

Photo © by ammadoux
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, 27 July 2019
Hippolais languida

Identification

14–15 cm (5½-6 in)br />

  • Light grey upperparts
  • Longish tail, broad at the base
  • A rounder head than in the olivaceous

Similar Species

Easily mistaken for Olivaceous Warbler especially flitting around in the greenery and the voice is similar as well. Tail movements are apparently the clincher when trying to distinguish from the Olivaceous, not only do they have the up and down waving tail but also a circular sideways movement as well.

Distribution

South-central Asia; winters in north-eastern Africa and southern Arabia
North Africa: Egypt
Eastern Africa: Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
Middle East: Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan, Arabian Peninsula, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia
Asia: Turkestan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan

Taxonomy

This is a monotypic species[1].

Subspecies magnirostris is generally considered invalid[2].

Habitat

Semi-desert, bushy scrub, tamarisk thickets, gardens and farmland.

Behaviour

Diet

Their diet hasn't been thoroughly studied, but apparently mainly consists of insects and invertebrates.

Breeding

The clutch of 4-5 eggs is laid in a well-built neat cup nest in bushes and low trees. It is constructed from grasses, plant stems and soft twigs.

Gallery

Click on photo for larger image

References

  1. Clements, J. F., T. S. Schulenberg, M. J. Iliff, S. M. Billerman, T. A. Fredericks, B. L. Sullivan, and C. L. Wood. 2019. The eBird/Clements Checklist of Birds of the World: v2019. Downloaded from http://www.birds.cornell.edu/clementschecklist/download/
  2. Avibase
  3. Svensson, L. (2019). Upcher's Warbler (Hippolais languida). In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from https://www.hbw.com/node/58833 on 2 September 2019)

Recommended Citation

External Links

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