Eastern Orphean warbler explained

The eastern Orphean warbler (Curruca crassirostris) is a typical warbler of the genus Curruca. This species occurs in summer around the Mediterranean, through the Balkans via Turkey, the Caucasus and surrounding regions to Central Asia. It is migratory, wintering in sub-Saharan Africa.^[1]

At 15–16 cm length—somewhat larger than a blackcap—this is one of the largest species of typical warblers. The adult males have a plain grey back. The bill is long and pointed and the legs black. The male has a dark grey head, black eye mask, and white throat. The iris is white. Females and immatures have a paler head and reddish underparts; their grey back has a brownish tinge. The iris is dark in young birds. It is difficult to visually distinguish from the Western Orphean warbler.^[2]

The song is a series of warbling and scolding notes. Its song is more varied than that of the western Orphean warbler,^[3] approaching the Nightingale in richness.

These small passerine birds^[4] are found in open deciduous woodland. 4–6 eggs are laid in a nest in a bush or tree. Like most "warblers", the eastern Orphean warbler is a nectarivore.^[5]

External links

• Ageing and sexing (PDF) by Javier Blasco-Zumeta

Notes and References

1. Book: Phylogeny and biogeography of the genus Sylvia, in: Shirihai, Hadoram: Sylvia warblers: 24-29. . Helbig, A. J. . 2001 . Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J. . 0-691-08833-0.
2. Hamza . Foued . Hanane . Saâd . Almalki . Mohammed . Chokri . Mohamed-Ali . 2022-10-17 . How urbanization and industrialization shape breeding bird species occurrence in coastal Mediterranean oasis system . Urban Ecosystems . 26 . 1 . 185–196 . 10.1007/s11252-022-01271-2 . 1083-8155.
3. Book: The complete birds of the western Palaearctic on CD-ROM . Snow, David W. . Perrins, Christopher M. . Doherty, Paul . Cramp, Stanley . amp. 1998 . Oxford University Press . 0-19-268579-1.
4. Book: A phylogenetic supertree of oscine passerine birds (Aves: Passeri). Zool. Scripta 35(2): 149–186. (HTML abstract) . Jønsson, Knud A. . Fjeldså, Jon . amp. 2006 . 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00221.x. 85317440 .
5. Shalu . Mesaria . Shruti . Patel . Pratik . Desai . Nishith . Dharaiya . 2023-05-05 . Food from the Neighbors: Sloth Bear Savoring the Debris Left by Tourists and Locals in Eco-Sensitive Zone of Chhota Udepur District, Gujarat, India . Proceedings of the Zoological Society . 76 . 2 . 202–204 . 10.1007/s12595-023-00484-3 . 0373-5893.