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PLATE 90: SYLVIA WARBLERS II
Lesser Whitethroat Sylvia curruca PM, WV
L: 13.5. A small Sylvia, grey-brown above with browner wings, medium-grey crown and darker
ear-coverts, which often vary in prominence; underparts show contrast between white throat and
dusky-washed breast. Differs from Common Whitethroat in having dark ear-coverts and dark legs
and in the absence of rusty fringes to wing feathers (though see icterops subspecies of Common
Whitethroat). First-winter Lesser Whitethroat has slightly paler upperparts and often shows an
indistinct whitish supercilium. Central Asian subspecies, halimodendri, occurs only as a migrant. It
is the same size as, but paler and sandier than both curruca and blythi, having pale sandy or buff-
brown upperparts, pale grey crown with clearly contrasting dark lores and ear-coverts, and more
white in outer tail than curruca. Siberian subspecies, blythi, winters in Iran and parts of Arabia, and
has paler, warmer brown upperparts and clean, whiter underparts, seemingly with little contrast
between throat and breast. Does not songflight. Voice Song is a fast, loud rattle tell-tell-tell-tell-tell.
Call (curruca) is a rather short and hard tek, often repeated; call of halimodendri quite different, a
characteristic buzzy tit-like che-che-che-che-che; fast sree-sree-sree when agitated. Habitat Dense
undergrowth, trees, especially Acacia and Prosopis. Note Passage hatched. S. c. halimodendri was
formerly treated as a race of Desert Whitethroat S. minula.Hume’s Whitethroat Sylvia althaea V
L: 14. Slightly larger than Lesser Whitethroat, showing rather large head with stouter bill and
darker plumage. Dark ashy-grey crown (darker than in Lesser Whitethroat), merges into dull grey-
brown back; ear-coverts also dark ashy, not contrasting with crown, but contrasting strongly with
white throat. First-winter birds can look particularly slaty above with paler feather edgings on
coverts and tertials. Voice Song is a pleasant Blackcap-like warble. Call is a hard tek, tek, or a single
churrr. Habitat Upland woody scrub in summer; trees and bushes on passage and in winter. Note
Rare in hatched area in winter; vagrant Oman, Qatar.Common Whitethroat Sylvia communis PM
L: 14. Medium-sized warbler, similar to Lesser Whitethroat but differs in having chestnut fringes to
coverts and secondaries, slightly longer tail, orangey-coloured legs and white eye-ring. Females
and first-winter birds lack the grey wash to head of male and have dark (not orange) iris. Subspecies
occurring in region, icterops, has brownish (barely chestnut) fringes to the coverts and secondaries,
thus resembling Lesser Whitethroat more, but can always be told by larger size and orange legs.
Voice Song, fairly short, scratchy warbling outburst from perch on bushtop or in display flight. Call a
harsh whet-whet-whet; loud scolding alarm is repeated drawn-out jaairh. Habitat Trees and scrub;
patchy dense low vegetation. Note Passage hatched; rare in S Arabia in winter.Eastern Orphean Warbler Sylvia crassirostris PM, WV, mb
L: 15. Distinctly larger than Sardinian Warbler but with grey crown contrasting poorly with
blackish ear-coverts, and larger bill; adult has yellowish iris (orange in adult Sardinian, which
also has reddish eye-ring), but many singing males have dark, mud-coloured iris. Sides of tail white.
First-autumn birds and immature females also lack pale iris; the former, as with some first-summer
males, recall large, sluggish Lesser Whitethroat with contrasting dark lores and ear-coverts and
dark markings on undertail-coverts. Often remains concealed. Voice Loud, varied, musical song
recalls Common Nightingale, given from dense cover. Calls include a loud Lesser Whitethroat-like
tak and a trrr. Habitat Bushy hillsides, deciduous thickets, parkland. Note Passage hatched; winters
E Arabia and S Iran.Arabian Warbler Sylvia leucomelaena RB
L: 14.5. Resembles Eastern Orphean Warbler but with shorter wings, longer tail, which is black
with just thin white outer fringes (and white tips to two outermost feathers), unmarked whitish
undertail-coverts and iris always dark. Adult often has whitish eye-ring (lacking in Eastern
Orphean); tertials fringed whitish in fresh plumage; often flops tail downwards or in circular
movements (unlike Eastern Orphean). Voice Song a loud, variable slow warbling, reminiscent of
Eurasian Blackcap, delivered from exposed perch; some phrases broken by drawn-out babbler-like
pift. Calls include tscha-tscha and short, churring rattle chr-rr-rr-rr-rr. Habitat Acacias in semi-deserts
and wadis. In SW Arabia, in rocky hills with trees and bushes; up to 1500m. Note Resident in S
Oman. [Alt. Red Sea Warbler]