River Warbler
Encyclopedia
The River Warbler, Locustella fluviatilis, is an Old World warbler
in the grass warbler
genus Locustella. It breeds in east and central Europe
into western Asia
. It is migratory
, wintering in east Africa
.
This small passerine
bird
is a species found in dense deciduous vegetation close to water in bogs or near a river. 5-7 egg
s are laid in a nest in a tussock or on the ground. This species is a rare vagrant to western Europe
. In Britain, a small number of males have set up territories in spring, including a bird in Greater Manchester
in 1995.
This is a largish warbler. The adult has an unstreaked grey-brown back, whitish grey underparts, and a darker undertail, which has white feather tips giving a contrasting pattern. The sexes are identical, as with most warblers, but young birds are yellower below. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous.
Some birds can show reduced dark markings on the undertail-coverts (caused by more extensive than usual white tips) and thus be closer in appearance to Savi's Warbler
than typical birds; however they typically still have a streaked breast and more olive upperparts coloration.
This is a skulky species which is very difficult to see except sometimes when singing. It creeps through grass and low foliage.
The song is a monotonous mechanical insect
-like reeling, often given at dusk. It is similar to the song of a Grasshopper Warbler
, but has more of a sewing machine quality, and may be produced for long periods.
Old World warbler
The "Old World Warblers" is the name used to describe a large group of birds formerly grouped together in the bird family Sylviidae. The family held over 400 species in over 70 genera, and were the source of much taxonomic confusion. Two families were split out initially, the cisticolas into...
in the grass warbler
Grass warbler
The grass-warblers are small passerine birds belonging to the genus Locustella. Formerly placed in the paraphyletic "Old World warbler" assemblage, they are now considered the northernmost representatives of a largely Gondwanan family, the Locustellidae.These are rather drab brownish "warblers"...
genus Locustella. It breeds in east and central Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
into western Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. It is migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
, wintering in east Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
This small passerine
Passerine
A passerine is a bird of the order Passeriformes, which includes more than half of all bird species. Sometimes known as perching birds or, less accurately, as songbirds, the passerines form one of the most diverse terrestrial vertebrate orders: with over 5,000 identified species, it has roughly...
bird
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
is a species found in dense deciduous vegetation close to water in bogs or near a river. 5-7 egg
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
s are laid in a nest in a tussock or on the ground. This species is a rare vagrant to western Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. In Britain, a small number of males have set up territories in spring, including a bird in Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
in 1995.
This is a largish warbler. The adult has an unstreaked grey-brown back, whitish grey underparts, and a darker undertail, which has white feather tips giving a contrasting pattern. The sexes are identical, as with most warblers, but young birds are yellower below. Like most warblers, it is insectivorous.
Some birds can show reduced dark markings on the undertail-coverts (caused by more extensive than usual white tips) and thus be closer in appearance to Savi's Warbler
Savi's Warbler
The Savi's Warbler, Locustella luscinioides, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds in southern Europe into temperate western Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa....
than typical birds; however they typically still have a streaked breast and more olive upperparts coloration.
This is a skulky species which is very difficult to see except sometimes when singing. It creeps through grass and low foliage.
The song is a monotonous mechanical insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
-like reeling, often given at dusk. It is similar to the song of a Grasshopper Warbler
Grasshopper Warbler
The Grasshopper Warbler, Locustella naevia, is an Old World warbler in the grass warbler genus Locustella. It breeds across much of temperate Europe and Asia. It is migratory, wintering from northwest Africa to India....
, but has more of a sewing machine quality, and may be produced for long periods.