Warbler - Bulgaria. (1 Viewer)

[Nikolai Kolev]

I saw this bird today, near river Sazliika, in the middle of the country. There was a lot of blackcaps. When i saw this photo, on my computer, first i thought it was a female blackcap, but the bill looks strange. More stronger and with yellow lower part. Blackcap or something else ?

 

[dwatsonbirder]

Looks like an acrocephalus warbler.

edit: Apologies, I am talking nonsense with those short undertail coverts. How about Booted warbler?

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

I would like to see more pictures, too, but why not a Willow Warbler? I cant see much wrong for it
Edit: yes, bill seems on the strong, blunt side for a WW and many WW have a dark tip to the bill

 

[alanc]

I can only see a female blackcap - although the lower mandible is light. There are a number of similar looking females on google images


cheers alan

 

[alanc]

edit - good call alex the light legs do look good for WW

 

[Nikolai Kolev]

I would like to see more pictures, too, but why not a Willow Warbler? I cant see much wrong for it
Edit: yes, bill seems on the strong, blunt side for a WW and many WW have a dark tip to the bill

I have only this image.

 

[Parker]

I also see a female Blackcap.

 

[Parker]

I also see a female Blackcap.

After a second look it’s not greyish on the upper parts or a greyish cast to the underparts so I’ll leave it, to many branches obscuring vital areas.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

I’m not sure those utcs are as short as they appear in the image - the bill and feet look like a Reed Warbler to me. Never seen a Blackcap with pinkish legs and an orange lower mandible and the bill looks too stout for a phylosc - tricky image.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

Looking at this picture again, and knowing that this is the only one I am undecided now. It might indeeed be a Reed Warbler with unusual short undertail-coverts or a Willow Warbler.
But I still ask myself this question, why is this such a tricky image? Yes, parts of this bird are hidden, but I get the feeling, that this is not the right answer here.
I hope for others to jump in and help me answering this question.

 

[PYRTLE]

The bill is too stout for a WW, there is no hint of a supercilium before or over the eye and it is quite uniformly brown around the face and head. I cannot see a Bloackcap but a Reed Warbler type for me as well.

 

[Alexander Stöhr]

I thought I see a dark border to a paler supercilium above the loral area, but now I see it is/might be part of the twig before.

 

[Nikolai Kolev]

Female blackcap in the same sloe bush for compare.

 

[Deb Burhinus]

Thanks Nikolai (it never hurts to see two individual birds in the same tree under the same lighting conditions)

Re. Alex’s point - I quite liked Daniels suggestion of Booted as an explainer for ’short utcs’, however, the short emargination on p3 would be visible even in the OP partially obscured features imo. Also the crown looks quite warm brown. I prefer, as an explanation for the utcs is that they are also partially obscured by vegetation and shadow so I can’t see anything to rule out Reed Warbler.