Long-billed crombec

Sylvietta rufescens

Photo by Lee Hunter (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
long-billed crombec (en); rabicurta-de-bico-comprido (pt); crombec à long bec (fr); sylvieta de pico largo (es); langschnabel-sylvietta (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This African species is found from eastern D.R. Congo, Angola and Zambia down to southern South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 12 cm long and weigh about 16 g.

Habitat:
The long-billed crombec is mostly found in dry savannas, but also in mixed woodlands with well-developed undergrowth, scrublands, rural gardens and near inland wetlands.

Diet:
They mainly eat invertebrates, such as termites, mantids, spiders, beetles, caterpillars and insect eggs, but supplement these with some seeds, fruits and Aloe nectar.

Breeding:
Long-billed crombecs breed in August-March. The nest is a bag-like cup of stringy plant fibres, leaves, grasses and spider webs, often decorated with leaves, rotten wood chips and lumps of spider web and lined with dry grass.It is typically strung from a droopy tree branch or in the depths of ascrub. There the female lays1-3 eggs, which are incubated by both parents for about 14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 10 days later.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be uncommon in the north of its range and common in the south. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Common grasshopper warbler

Locustella naevia

Photo by Andreas Gruber (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
common grasshopper warbler (en); felosa-malhada (pt); locustelle tachetée (fr); buscarla pintoja (es); feldschwirl (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species is found breed across most of Europe, from the northern Iberian peninsula as far north as southern Sweden and Norway and as far east as central Asia, through Russia into the Caucasus, Kazakhstan and north-western Mongolia. They migrate south winter in Africa along the Sahel belt and also in India.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 19-20 cm. They weigh 11-20 g.

Habitat:
The common grasshopper warbler is found in grasslands and scrublands, in aquatic vegetation bordering freshwater lakes and marshes, and also in pastures and arable land.

Diet:
They mainly feed on adult and larval insects, such as beetles, flies and butterflies, spiders, and also some molluscs.

Breeding:
These birds breed in May-July. The cup-shaped nest is made of stalks, leaves and grasses and placed on the ground, among dense vegetation. There the female lays 4-6 white eggs with purple speckles, which are incubated by both parents for 13-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-12 days after hatching. Each pair can raise 1-2 broods per year and the young achieve sexual maturity after 1 year.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 3,4-13,2 million individuals. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction, but in several European countries the trend since the 1980s has been stable.

Sedge warbler

Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Photo by Rinus Motmans (Flickr)

Common name:
sedge warbler (en); felosa-dos-juncos (pt); phragmite des joncs (fr); carricerín común (es); schilfrohrsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species breeds throughout most of Europe and western Asia, as far south as northern Spain, northern Italy, Turkey and Kazakhstan, and as far east as central Siberia. They migrate south to winter in most areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Size:
These birds are 11,5-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 17-21 cm. They weigh 10-13 g.

Habitat:
The sedge warblers is mostly found in freshwater wetlands, particularly within reedbeds, but also in wet grasslands, water storage areas, dry savannas and arable land. They occur from sea level up to an altitude of 2.400 m.

Diet:
They forage on low, thick vegetation, being mostly insectivorous. Sedge warblers take mayflies, dragonflies and damselflies, grasshoppers, aphids, lacewings, moths, beetles, flies and midges, but also eat berries such as elderberries and blackberries.

Breeding:
Sedge warblers breed in April-July and tend to be monogamous. The female builds the nest, a cup-shaped structure made of grass, stems, leaves and spider webs, woven around vertical plant stems, often reeds. The nest is lined with reed flowers, animal hairs and plant down. The female lays 3-7 greenish-yellow eggs with brown mottles, which she incubates alone for 12-15 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-14 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from the parents for another 1-2 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 17,8-44,4 million individuals. The population is suspected to be declining due to loss of wetlands, droughts and the expansion of the Sahara desert, all affecting their wintering areas.

Yellow-bellied eremomela

Eremomela icteropygialis

Photo by Volker Sthamer (Bird Forum)

Common name:
yellow-bellied eremomela (en); eremomela-de-barriga-amarela (pt); érémomèle à croupion jaune (fr); eremomela de vientre amarillo (es); gelbbauch-eremomela (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species is widely distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, occurring in two main populations. One stretches across the Sahel from Mauritania to Sudan and the other is found from Ethiopia, through Tanzania, D.R. Congo and Zambia and into South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh around 9 g.

Habitat:
The yellow-bellied eremomela is mostly found in dry scrublands and savannas, especially Acacia woodlands, but also in springs and oasis within arid areas, rural gardens and arable land. They can be found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.900 m.

Diet:
They mostly eat insects and other invertebrates, namely bugs, beetles, caterpillars, ants and termites, but will also take fruits, seeds and nectar.

Breeding:
Yellow-bellied eremomelas are monogamous and pair for life. The breed in August-January and the nest is a tidy, thin-walled cup, made of stringy plant fibres, dry grass, spider webs and plant down. It is typically placed between lengthwise twigs on the edge of the foliage of a scrub or sapling. The female lays 2-4 white eggs, which are incubated by both sexes for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 15-16 days after hatching, but remain with the parents for another 2 weeks.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as common to fairly common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Menetries's warbler

Sylvia mystacea

Photo by Pekka Fågel (Kuwait Bird Sightings)

Common name:
Menetries's warbler (en); toutinegra-de-Ménétries (pt); fauvette de Ménétries (fr); curruca de Ménétries (es); tamariskengrasmücke (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species is found breeding from Israel and Turkey to Iraq, the Caucasus and around the Caspian Sea in southern Russia, northern Iran and into Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. They migrate south to winter in the Arabian Peninsula and along the coasts of the Persian Gulf and the Red Sea.

Size:
These birds are 12-14 cm long and have a wingspan of 15-19 cm long. They weigh 7-11,5 g.

Habitat:
The Menetries's warbler is mostly found in dry scrublands, dry mountain slopes, along riverbanks and desert fringes. They can also be found in rural gardens and plantations and outside the breeding season also in saltmarshes and dry savannas. This species is found from sea level up to an altitude of 1.400 m.

Diet:
They forage among the leaves and branches of scrubs, taking insects and other invertebrates, namely grasshoppers, bugs, moths, butterflies, ants, wasps and beetles.

Breeding:
Menetries's warblers breed in April-July. They nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a deep cup made of twigs, plant stems, grass leaves, stems, rootlets, plant fibres, down, and spider webs, lined with finer grasses and rootlets, small feathers and hair. It is placed among grasses or in a small scrur, up to 1 m above the ground. The female lays 4-6 glossy white eggs with brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for 11-13 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-11 days after hatching. Each pair raise 1 or rarely 2 broods per seasons.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range. The population in Europe was estimated at 129.000-450.000 individuals, but it represents less than 5% of the species range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any current declines or substantial threats.

African bush-warbler

Bradypterus baboecala

Photo by Mike Buckham (Buckham Birding)

Common name:
African bush-warbler (en); felosa-dos-juncos-africana (pt); bouscarle caqueteuse (fr); zarzalero charlatán (es); sumpfbuschsänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This African species is patchily distributed from Nigeria to Ethiopia and Kenya, and has the bulk of its population from southern D.R. Congo, through Zambia and Angola, and down to South Africa.

Size:
These birds are 13-17 cm long and weigh 11-15 g.

Habitat:
The African bush-warbler is found in inland wetlands, namely marshes, streams and rivers populated by sedge, such as papyrus Cyperus papyrus and bulrushes Typha capensis. They can also move into seasonally flooded grasslands and sewage ponds.

Diet:
They feed among sedges and reeds, near the waterline, taking small insects and insect eggs.

Breeding:
These birds breed in September-March. The nest is a deep, untidy cup built of reeds or coarse grass, typically placed at the base of a clump of sedge near the waters edge.There the female lays 2-3 eggs, which are incubated for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 12-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and, although the global population size has not been quantified, the African bush-warbler is described as locally common to rare. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Buff-bellied warbler

Phyllolais pulchella

Photo by Volker Sthamer (Bird Forum)

Common name:
buff-bellied warbler (en); felosa-das-acácias (pt); phyllolaïs à ventre fauve (fr); prinia ventripálida (es); akaziensänger (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This African species is found in two separate populations. One is found in northern Nigeria, northern Cameroon, southern Chad and southern Niger, while the other is found further east, from southern Sudan, through Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda and down to Tanzania.

Size:
These birds are 10 cm long and weigh 6 g.

Habitat:
These birds are mostly found in dry savannas and other Acacia woodlands, favouring areas dominated by Acacia xanthophloea and Acacia abyssinica. They are also found in dry scrublands and rural gardens.

Diet:
The buff-bellied warbler feeds on aphids, scale insects, insects larvae and spiders, often foraging in mixed-species flocks on the branches of Acacia trees.

Breeding:
They breed in April-October. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a purse-shaped bag with a side entrance near the top, made of vegetable down, Acacia bark and spider webs. it is placed in a thorny scrub or young Acacia 1-9 m above the ground. There the female lays 2-4 white, light green or greenish blue eggs with brown spots. The eggs are incubated for 12 days and the chicks fledge around 16 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as rare to common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Ashy tailorbird

Orthotomus ruficeps

Photo by David Yeo (Flickr)

Common name:
ashy tailorbird (en); costureiro-de-cabeça-ruiva (pt); couturière à tête rousse (fr); sastrecillo ceniciento (es); rostwangen-schneidervogel (de)

Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae

Range:
This species is found is South-East Asia, in Thailand, Myanmar, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia.

Size:
They are 11-12 cm long and weigh 5-7 g.

Habitat:
The ashy tailorbird is mostly found in moist tropical forests and mangroves, but can also be found in swamp forests, dry forests, second growths and rural gardens.

Diet:
They eat small insects including caterpillars, beetles, ants and small flies.

Breeding:
The ashy tailorbird breeds in May-November. The adults build the nest by using a large leaf or 2-3 smaller leaves, pulling the edges together and helding these together with strands or cotton or spider webs drawn through holes pierced along the leaf edges. The nest is lined with soft cottony materials. The female lays 2-4 white or pinkish eggs with brown or purple spots, which are incubated for 16 days. The chicks fledge 12-14 days after hatching.

Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a large breeding range and is reported to be common within this range. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Common tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

Photo by Allen To (Images of Birds of Hong Kong)

Common name:
common tailorbird (en); costureiro-rabilongo (pt); couturière à longue queue (fr); sastrecillo común (es); rotstirn-schneidervogel (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae


Range:
This species is found in southern Asia, from Pakistan and India to southern China and Indonesia.


Size:
These birds are 10-14 cm long and weigh 6-10 g.


Habitat:
The common tailor bird is found in forests, mangroves, scrublands, plantations, agricultural land and within urban areas.


Diet:
They mainly glean insects from foliage, namely beetles and bugs, but are also known to visit to the flowers of Bombak, Salmalia and other large flowers for nectar.


Breeding:
Common tailorbirds can breed all year round, varying between different locations. The nest cup is made of soft plant fibres and placed inside a group of green leaves sewn together by the birds using fibres. The careful sewing allows the leaves to remain alive and green which helps camouflage the nest. The female lays 2-5 pastel blue eggs with brown speckles, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is reported to be common. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Red-faced crombec

Sylvietta whytii

Photo by Glen Tepke (Mango Verde)

Common name:
red-faced-crombec (en); rabicurta-de-faces-vermelhas (pt); crombec à face rousse (fr); sylvieta de cara roja (es); rotzügel-sylvietta (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae


Range:
This African species is found in East Africa, from southern Ethiopia and Sudan, through Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and into Zimbabwe and Mozambique.


Size:
These birds are 8-9 cm long and weigh 9-11 g.


Habitat:
The red-faced crombec is mostly found in sub-tropical and tropical dry scrublands and miombo woodlands, but also in other dry forests, sub-tropical and tropical moist mountain forests and in heavily degraded patches of former forests.


Diet:
They mainly feed on invertebrates, plucking scale insects, caterpillars, spiders and small worms from twigs and branches.


Breeding:
Red-faced crombecs breed in August-December. The nest is a hanging pouch made of fine bark strips, dead leaves, lichens, seed pods and flowers, bound together with spider webs. It is typically suspended between a forked twig on the edge of a bare tree. There the female lays 1-3 eggs, which she mostly incubates alone for 13-14 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 14-17 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has a very large breeding range and is described as locally fairly common. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to the destruction of miombo woodlands for agriculture.

Barred warbler

Sylvia nisoria

Photo by Mateusz Matysiak (Mateusz Matysiak Fotografia)

Common name:
barred warbler (en); toutinegra-gavião (pt); fauvette épervière (fr); curruca gavilana (es); sperbergrasmücke (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae


Range:
This species is found breeding in eastern Europe and central Asia, from eastern Germany and Poland, north to southern Finland and south to the Baltic coast, Greece and Turkey. Then the species is distributed across central Asia all the way to south-eastern Mongolia and western China. They migrate to winter in eastern Africa, from Chad and Sudan south to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.


Size:
This large warbler is 15,5-17 cm long and has a wingspan of 26-29 cm. They weigh 20-30 g.


Habitat:
The barred warbler is mostly found in temperate forests, both broad-leaved and mixed, especially near forest clearings. They are also found in scrublands, pastures, plantations and parks. During winter these birds occur in tropical dry forests and dry savannas.


Diet:
They mostly feed on adult and larval insects, spiders and sometimes snails. In late summer and autumn they will also eat berries.


Breeding:
Barred warblers breed in May-July. Some males are monogamous and help incubate the eggs and raise the chicks, while other have several mates and have no further part in the breeding process after mating with each female. The nest is a dense cup made of grass stems, stalks, twigs, rootlets and spider cocoons, and lined with hairs and fine plant materials. It is well hidden in the foliage of a small tree or scrub, not far from the ground. The female lays 3-6 eggs, which are incubated for 12-13 days. The chicks fledge 11-12 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)
This species has an extremely large breeding range and the global population is estimated at 2-6 million individuals. The population seems to go through marked annual fluctuations, at least within its European range, but it is not threatened at present.

Iberian chiffchaff

Phylloscopus ibericus

Photo by Patrick Bergier (Internet Bird Collection)

Common name:
Iberian chiffchaff (en); felosa-ibérica (pt); pouillot ibérique (fr); mosquitero ibérico (es); Iberienzilpzalp (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae


Range:
This species is mostly found breeding in Portugal and Spain, but also in southern France and in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. They winter in western Africa, from Senegal to Ghana and Burkina Faso.


Size:
These birds are 10-11 cm long and have a wingspan of 18-19 cm. They weigh 7-8,5 g.


Habitat:
Iberian chiffchaffs use mature, mostly deciduous, woodlands, preferring not too dense canopies and fairly dense, medium to tall, undergrowth. They can also be found in dry scrublands.


Diet:
They are insectivorous, eating a wide range of small insects that are picked from foliage in the tree canopy or in dense thickets.


Breeding:
The Iberian chiffchaff breeds in February-September. The female builds the nest, a domed structure made of coarse plant material such as dead leaves and grass, and lined with finer materials and feathers. The nest is placed near the ground in dense vegetation. The female lays 4-7 cream-coloured eggs with brown spots, which she incubates alone for 13-15 days. The chicks are mostly fed by the female, with occasional help by the male, and fledge 14-15 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a large breeding range and a global population estimated at 1,1-1,6 million individuals. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.

Arabian warbler

Sylvia leucomelaena

(Photo from Flickr)

Common name:
Arabian warbler (en); toutinegra-do-mar-vermelho (pt); fauvette d'Arabie (fr); curruca del mar rojo (es); akaziengrasmücke (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae


Range:
These birds are mostly found along the coast of the Red Sea, in north-eastern Africa, in southern Egypt, Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia and eastern Sudan, and also in the Arabian Peninsula in Oman, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and into Jordan and Israel.


Size:
Arabian warblers are 14,5-16 cm long and weigh 12-14 g.


Habitat:
They are mostly found in dry savannas, at altitudes of 250-1.900 m.


Diet:
These birds are mostly insectivorous, often eating Pyralidae larvae found on the bark of Acacia trees, but will also eat the fruits and berries of various scrubs when available.


Breeding:
Arabian warblers breed in February -July. They build a cup-shaped nest on the canopy of an Acacia tree, 1-3 m above the ground, where the female lays 2-3 eggs. The eggs are incubated by both parents for 16 days. The chicks are fed by both parents and fledge 10-17 days after hatching, but may continue to receive food from the parents for another 7-8 weeks.


Conservation:
IUCN status - LC (Least concern)
This species has a relatively large breeding range and is reported to be frequent in Africa. The population is suspected to be in decline owing to degradation of Acacia groves.

Pleske's grasshopper-warbler

Locustella pleskei

Photo by Nial Moores (Birds Korea)

Common name:
Pleske's grasshopper warbler (en); cigarrinha-de-Pleske (pt); locustelle de Pleske (fr); buscarla de Pleske (es); Pleske-schwirl (de)


Taxonomy:
Order Passeriformes
Family Sylviidae


Range:
This Asian species breeds only in a few small offshore islands along the Pacific coast, from the southernmost parts of eastern Russia, through the Korean peninsula and Japan and south to eastern China. They migrate south to winter in southern China, Vietnam, the Philippines and Indonesia.


Size:
These birds are 15-17 cm long and weigh 16-24 g.


Habitat:
The Pleske's grasshopper-warbler breeds in open, wet areas of thick grasses, reeds, or low bushes, almost exclusively on small offshore islets. During winter they are found in reedbeds and in low scrubs near reedbeds and mangroves.


Diet:
They are believed to take insects and other small arthropods.


Breeding:
Pleske's grasshopper-warblers breed in May-July. The nest is hidden among grasses or in a low willow thickets or scrub, less than 2 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-6 eggs which are incubated for 14 days. The chicks fledge 13-15 days after hatching.


Conservation:
IUCN status - VU (Vulnerable)
This species has a very restricted breeding range and a global population estimated at just 2.500-10.000 individuals. The population is believed to be undergoing a moderate decline caused by the impact of human activities both in their breeding and wintering areas. The may threats include habitat loss and degradation, environmental contamination and even volcanic eruptions in at least one of the islands where they breed.

Blackcap

Sylvia atricapilla

Photo by Andy Bright (Mango Verde)

Common name:

blackcap (en); toutinegra-de-barrete-preto (pt); fauvette à tête noire (fr); curruca capirotada (es); mönchsgrasmücke (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

These birds are found breeding from western Europe to south-western Siberia, and south to the Mediterranean, Turkey and south-western Russia. It also occurs on islands in the Atlantic Ocean, including the Azores, Cape Verde Islands, Canary Islands and Madeira. The northern and eastern population migrate south to winter in southern Europe, the Middle East and in Africa.

Size:

Blackcaps are 13-15 cm long and have a wingspan of 20-23 cm.They weigh 14-22 g.

Habitat:

They breed in a variety of woodlands and other forested habitats, but also in orchards and fruit-tree plantations, as well as parks and gardens with plenty of trees and scrubs. In winter they are typically found in areas rich in berries and other fruits, including olive groves, gardens and palm plantations, but may also be found in lowland savannas, mangroves, riverside woodlands, and mountain scrublands and forests. They are present from sea level up to an altitude of 2.200 m.

Diet:

The diet of the blackcap varies seasonally. During the breeding season they mostly hunt invertebrates, including mayflies, dragonflies, grasshoppers, moths, beetles, spiders, woodlice, snails and earthworms. Outside the breeding season they tend to eat more fruits and berries, including cultivated figs, cherries and olives and a wide variety of wild plants, sometimes also taking nectar and flower blossoms.

Breeding:

Blackcaps breed in April-August. The nest is built by both sexes, consisting of a cup of grasses, twigs and roots, lined with grass and hair. The nest is usually placed in a scrub, bush or small tree, or in dense vegetation, such as a stand of ferns. There the female lays 3-5 greyish eggs with brown spots, which are incubated by both parents for 10-16 days. The chicks cared for by both parents and fledge 10-15 days after hatching, but only become fully independent 2-3 weeks later.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has an extremely large breeding range and a global population of 80-200 million individuals. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to afforestation and land use changes leading to increased scrubby growth in parts of its range.

Melodious warbler

Hippolais polyglotta

Photo by Jorge Silva (Verdes Ecos)

Common name:

melodious warbler (en); felosa-poliglota (pt); hypolaïs polyglotte (fr); zarcero cómun (es); orpheusspötter (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

The melodious warbler is found breeding in north-west Africa, from Morocco to Tunisia, and in south-west Europe, from Portugal and Spain, through France and Italy, and as far north as The Netherlands and southern Germany and as far east as Croatia and Austria. They winter in sub-Saharan Africa.

Size:

These birds are 12-13 cm long and have a wingspan of 17-20 cm. They weigh 10-13 g.

Habitat:

Melodious warblers mostly breed in temperate forests and scrublands, favouring riverine areas. They are also found in pastures, plantations and rural gardens. During winter they are found in dry savannas, tropical and subtropical dry scrubland and in tropical and subtropical moist forests.

Diet:

They are mostly insectivorous, gleaning a wide variety of adult and larval insects from the vegetation. They also eat some berries.

Breeding:

Melodious warblers breed in May-July. The nest is a deep cup, made of plant stems and leaves, spider webs and down, lined with hairs, rootlets, plant down, and sometimes feathers. The nest is placed on a dense bush or small tree, 1-2 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-5 greenish-grey eggs, which she incubates alone for 12-14 days while being fed by the male. The chicks fledge 11-13 days after hatching, but continue to receive food from their parents for another 2 weeks.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at 3-10 million individuals. The population is suspected to be increasing owing to a northerly and easterly range expansion, but in most countries the populations is stable.

Spectacled warbler

Sylvia conspicillata

Photo by J. Sagardía (Birding in Lanzarote)

Common name:

spectacled warbler (en); toutinegra-tomilheira (pt); fauvette à lunettes (fr); curruca tomillera (es); brillengrasmücke (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

This species is mostly found around the Mediterranean basin, from Portugal, Spain and Morocco in the west, through France, Italy and Libya, and into Cyprus, Syria, Israel, Jordan and Lebanon. They are also found in the Canaries and Cape Verde archipelagos.

Size:

The spectacled warbler is 12-13 cm long and has a wingspan of 16-18 cm. They weigh 8-10 g.

Habitat:

These birds are mostly found in dry scrubland, open terrain and sometimes also in salt marshes.

Diet:

These birds are mostly insectivorous, taking various insects including grasshoppers, caterpillars, flies, ants and small beetles, but also spiders, molluscs and sometimes seeds and berries.

Breeding:

Spectacled warblers breed in March-June. The nest is a neat but loosely constructed deep cup of dried grass stems, rootlets, and leaves, often including rag, wool, cobwebs, and paper, usually placed in dense vegetation from the ground level to 1,5 m above the ground. There the female lays 3-5 eggs which are incubated for 12-14 days. The chicks fledge 11-13 days after hatching.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population estimated at - million individuals. Although apparently expanding its range in some areas, the total population is suspected to be in decline owing to ongoing habitat destruction and degradation, but this species is not considered threatened at present.

Cetti's warbler

Cettia cetti

Photo by Jorge Silva (Verdes Ecos) 

Common name:

Cetti's warbler (en); rouxinol-bravo (pt); bouscarle de Cetti (fr); ruiseñor bastardo (es); seidensänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

This species is a resident breeder in the Mediterranean basin, being found from the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco to Turkey. They are found as far north as Belgium and The Netherlands.

Size:

The Cetti's warbler is 13-14 cm long and has a wingspan of 17 cm. They weigh 12-15 g.

Habitat:

They are found in dense vegetation near marshes, lakes, swamps and slow rivers.

Diet:

Cetti's warblers feed primarily on insects and their larvae, but also spiders, small snails and other small mollusks, and occasionally plant seeds.

Breeding:

These birds breed in April-June. The female builds a small cup-shaped nest, placed on a reed or bush near water. There she lays 3-6 dark orange to reddish brown eggs, which she incubates alone for 13-17 days. The chicks are mostly fed by the female, although the male may occasionally also help. The chicks fledge 14-16 days after hatching. Each pair typically produces 2 broods per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least Concern)

This species has a very large breeding range and a global population of 5-20 million individuals. The population is suspected to be increasing due to a northward range expansion in the west of its range.

Marsh grassbird

Megalurus pryeri

(Photo from Yang Niao)

Common name:

marsh grassbird (en); cigarrinha-do-Japão (pt); mégalure du Japon (fr); yerbera japonesa (es); riedsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

This Asian species breeds in the island of Honshu, Japan, in north-eastern China and possibly also in neighbouring parts of Russia and Mongolia. They winter further south in Japan and in the Yangtze River basin in south-eastern China.

Size:

These birds are 13-14 cm long and weigh 14-16 g.

Habitat:

Marsh grassbirds prefer dense, mid-height reeds and grasses in shallow water for nesting, with some taller plants for singing posts. They are very sensitive to habitat structure and do not tolerate vegetation that is too short or too tall. They winter in reedbeads.

Diet:

These birds eat small insects including bugs, beetles, soft insects, grubs and capsular larvae from reed sheaths.

Breeding:

The marsh grassbird breeds in June-August. The nests are built up to 35 cm above the ground, in sedges or Japanese pampas grass Miscanthus sinensis. There the female lays 5-6 eggs which are incubated for 11-12 days. The chicks fledge 13-14 days after hatching. Each pair may produce 1-2 clutches per year.

Conservation:

IUCN status - NT (Near-Threatened)

This species has a moderately small population of just 10.000-15.000 individuals, which is divided into a number of isolated sub-populations over a relatively small breeding range. The population is suspected to be declining as a result of habitat degradation and conversion in both breeding and wintering areas, caused by agricultural expansion, oilfield development, reed harvesting for pulp, and alteration of water-levels through irrigation. Pollution and hunting are also potential threats in China.

Yellow-browed warbler

Phylloscopus inornatus

Photo by J. Sagardía (Birding in Lanzarote)

Common name:

yellow-browed warbler (en); felosa-bilistada (pt); pouillot à grands sourcils (fr); mosquitero bilistado (es); gelbbrauen-laubsänger (de)

Taxonomy:

Order Passeriformes

Family Sylviidae

Range:

This Asian species is found breeding from just west of the Ural Mountains to eastern Siberia, Mongolia and north-eastern China. They winter from north-eastern India, through southern China to Taiwan, and south to the Malay Peninsula.

Size:

These birds are 9-11 cm long and have a wingspan of 17-19 cm. They weigh 4-9 g.

Habitat:

Yellow-browed warblers breed in lowland and mountain forests, showing some preference for open growth broad-leaved rather than coniferous forests, particularly in belts of low birch, poplar, and willow along rivers. They winter in lowland broadleaf and coniferous forests.

Diet:

They eat insects and other invertebrates which they pick or snatch from twigs and leaves of trees and bushes, or sometimes take in flight.

Breeding:

The yellow-browed warbler breeds in June-July. They Nest on the ground, in or against a tussock, mound, windfall debris, or among tree roots. The nest is a domed structure with a side entrance, made of dry grasses, moss, rotten wood, plant fibres and rootlets, lined with finer material. There the female lays 2-7 eggs which she incubates alone for 11-14 days. The chicks fledge 12-13 days after hatching and each pair only raises 1 brood per season.

Conservation:

IUCN status - LC (Least concern)

Although the global population size has not been quantified, this species is common over its very large breeding range, and the European population, which represents less than 5% of their overall range, counts 5.000-35.000 breeding pairs. The population is suspected to be stable in the absence of evidence for any declines or substantial threats.