Melodious Warbler
by
Shop
Hippolais polyglotta
Annual Autumn vagrants to Britain from South West Europe between August-October.
Winters in Africa.
Adults have a plain brown back and wings, and yellowish underparts.
Compared to the Icterine Warbler, the upper parts are rather browner and the under parts rather yellower.
The bill is strong and pointed and the legs are brown.
The sexes are identical, as with most Warblers, but Juveniles are paler on the belly.
The song is a pleasant babbling.
Compared to that of the Icterine it is more fluent and sustained but much less varied, and it does not include mimicked sounds.
Other vocalisations include a rattling "trrrr", which resembles a House Sparrow, a quiet "tuk" and a chattering "chret-chet".