Savi's Warbler
Locustella luscinioides
Large, two-toned warbler, warm brown above with a pale, unstreaked breast. May recall Eurasian Reed-Warbler but note long undertail coverts with indistinct pale tips. Not typically easy to see, but singing birds are usually partially exposed. Breeds in extensive reed beds and winters in various habitats with tangled, rank vegetation. The song is a metallic, continuous, low-pitched, and insectlike series like Common Grasshopper-Warbler but lower pitched. Calls include a low “tik tik tik”, as well as a higher-pitched “tsip.”
Identification
The upper-parts of Savi's warbler are a uniform dark reddish-brown, sometimes with a slight greenish tinge. It has indistinct buff eye-stripes, dark lores and pale brown ear-coverts. The brown beak is slender and the irises are also brown. The chin, throat and belly are whitish-buff and the rest of the underparts sandy brown. In the breeding season, both upper-parts and underparts are slightly paler. The legs are brown. The bird is around 14 cm (5.5 in) long.<p>The song is a trill very similar to that of the grasshopper warbler but slightly lower pitched and less prolonged. It is often preceded by a series of low ticks which gradually merge into the trill. The bird sings from high on a reed head with open beak and vibrating throat. Both males and females sing.
Taxonomy
The common name of this bird recognises the Italian ornithologist Paolo Savi, the author of "Ornitologia Toscana" (1827–1831) and "Ornitologia Italiana" (1873–1876). In 1821, Savi was given specimens of an unstreaked, dark, rufous-brown warbler which was new to science. He published a full description of the bird in 1824, and it became known by the common name of Savi's warbler. The genus name Locustella is from Latin and is a diminutive of locusta, "grasshopper". This refers to the song of the common grasshopper warbler and some others in this genus. The specific luscinioides is from Latin luscinia, "nightingale", and Ancient Greek -oides, "resembling".<p>It forms a species pair with the river warbler, Locustella fluviatilis, and studies of mitochondrial DNA show that both are closely related to the lanceolated warbler, L. lanceolata, and the common grasshopper warbler, L. naevia.<p>There are three subspecies. Locustella luscinioides luscinioides is the nominate subspecies which is native to Central and Eastern Europe, Spain, Portugal and North Africa. It winters in West Africa in an area stretching from Senegal to Lake Chad and northern Ghana, and probably also in South Sudan. L. l. sarmatica is native to Ukraine, the Sea of Azov, the Volga region and the Urals; it winters in Northeastern Africa. L. l. fusca is found from Jordan and Turkey as far east as central Asia; it winters in Sudan and Ethiopia.
- Scientific name
- Locustella luscinioides
- Authority
- (Savi, 1824)
- Order
- Passeriformes
- Family
- Locustellidae
- Genus
- Locustella
Range and habitat
Savi's warbler breeds in Algeria, Spain, Mallorca, France, Sicily, Crete, Italy, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Jordan, Turkey and Russia as far east as the River Volga. It winters in Algeria, Morocco, Sudan and Ethiopia. It is known as an occasional visitor to the United Kingdom (where a few pairs breed sporadically), Ireland, Belgium, Switzerland, Corsica, Sardinia, Malta, Cyprus and Israel.<p>Savi's warbler is to be found in reed beds, marshes and lagoons with reeds, sedges and other marsh vegetation, perhaps with scattered sallows or bushes. It climbs stems in order to sing in full view but is otherwise difficult to see as it flits with agility through the stems and tangled growth and is seldom seen on open ground. It occupies similar habitats in its winter quarters but may also be found in fens or marshy locations with open water away from reeds.
- Breeding range
- PAL : c, w, sw, also nw Africa
- Non-breeding range
- AF
- Migration
- Complete migrants
Behavior
Savi's warbler moults into its breeding plumage before returning to its summer range. On arrival at the wetlands, the birds flit among the reeds and undergrowth and are seldom seen, but on establishing territories, they climb to the top of reeds and sing from prominent positions. They feed on insects such as flies, beetles, moths, grubs and damselflies. Small worms are also believed to be taken. After breeding the birds disperse somewhat to less densely vegetated fens, moult into their winter plumage and depart on their migration. Little is known of their habits in their winter quarters but they occupy similar swampy areas, have been seen in cornfields and may feed and roost in small flocks.
Conservation
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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