Sykes's Warbler
Iduna rama
Plain brown warbler with pale legs. Breeds in Central Asia; winters primarily on the Indian peninsula. Prefers trees with sparse canopy in open, dry habitat. Can be told from Blyth’s Reed Warbler by its leaf-warbler-like behavior and longer tail, and from Booted Warbler by its less compact appearance; flatter stance; longer pale bill (mostly without a dark tip); longer, more loosely attached tail; more pointy face; harder call; and preference for canopy tops. Call is a hard, fast, continuous arrhythmic “thk…thk, thk, thk.”
Identification
It is a small warbler, especially compared to others in their genus. They are pale brown above and whitish below with buff flanks. The outer tail feathers have pale edges. They have a short pale supercilium, and the bill is strong and pointed. Sykes's warbler is larger and greyer than the booted warbler, and most resembles an eastern olivaceous warbler.
Taxonomy
Molecular phylogeny studies in 2009 suggested a clade sister to Chloropeta and separate from Hippolais in the strict sense resulting in the removal of this species from the genus Hippolais and placement in a resurrected older genus name of Iduna. There are differences in the nesting and egg morphology between rama and caligata.
- Scientific name
- Iduna rama
- Authority
- (Sykes, 1832)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Acrocephalidae
- Genus
- Iduna
Range and habitat
It is a small passerine found in open country with bushes and other tall vegetation. Three or four eggs are laid in a nest in a bush or vegetation. Like most warblers they are insectivorous.
- Breeding range
- PAL : Kazakhstan and w China s to Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan
- Non-breeding range
- s Pakistan and India
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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