Alternative names: Rueppell's Warbler
- Sylvia rueppelli
Identification
A typical warbler of the genus Sylvia.
Adult
- Plain grey back
- Paler grey underparts
- Fine pointed bill
- Brown legs
Male
- Black head
- Normally shows a black throat, separated by a white malar streak ("moustache"). *Red eye
Female:
- Pale throat
- Head is grey rather than black.
- Brownish tinge to grey back
- Spotted breast recalls Cyprus Warbler.
Similar Species
Slimmer than the similar Sardinian Warbler, and the song is slower and deeper.
Distribution
It breeds (April to September) in southern Greece, western Turkey and neighbouring islands. One noted site is on the coast road between Petra and Molivos on the Greek island of Lesvos. It is migratory, wintering in north east Africa. This is a rare vagrant to western Europe.
Taxonomy
This is a monotypic species[1].
Together with the Cyprus Warbler it forms a superspecies with dark throats, white malar streaks and light remiges fringes. This in turn is related to the species of Mediterranean and Middle East Sylvia warblers that have a naked eye-ring, namely the Subalpine Warbler, Sardinian Warbler and Menetries' Warbler. Both groups have a white malar area, but this may not form a clear streak in the latter group; above the white, the heads of males are uniformly dark.2
Habitat
Thick thorny shrubs.
Behaviour
Breeding
The clutch consists of 4-6 eggs which are laid in a nest in a bush.
Diet
Like most "warblers", this species is insectivorous.
Vocalisation
Slower, deeper rattle than the Sardinian Warbler.
References
- Clements, JF. 2009. The Clements Checklist of Birds of the World. 6th ed., with updates to December 2009. Ithaca: Cornell Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0801445019.
- Helbig 2001, Jønsson & Fjeldså 2006
- Avian Web
- Wikipedia
Recommended Citation
- BirdForum Opus contributors. (2024) Rüppell's Warbler. In: BirdForum, the forum for wild birds and birding. Retrieved 17 June 2024 from https://www.birdforum.net/opus/R%C3%BCppell%27s_Warbler