Bird Guide

Booted Warbler vs Sykes's Warbler

Booted Warbler (Iduna caligata)

Booted Warbler

Iduna caligata

Tiny9 gShrubland

The booted warbler is a small species of warbler, similar in size to a common chiffchaff. It has an undistinguished plumage which is plain greyish brown on the upperparts and paler on the underparts. There is a clear, pale supercilium and a short bill with a dark tip. The jizz shown is of a short-winged rather pot-bellied warbler with a square-tipped tail. This species and Sykes's warbler are challenging to identify.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Booted Warbler
Recorded by Jochem Verweij · Song · OTTENBY, Mörbylånga Municipality, Kalmar län, Sweden · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Srivatsan Ramkumar · CC BY 4.0
Sykes's Warbler (Iduna rama)

Sykes's Warbler

Iduna rama

Tiny9 gShrubland

It is a small warbler, especially compared to others in their genus. They are pale brown above and whitish below with buff flanks. The outer tail feathers have pale edges. They have a short pale supercilium, and the bill is strong and pointed. Sykes's warbler is larger and greyer than the booted warbler, and most resembles an eastern olivaceous warbler.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Sykes's Warbler
Recorded by Mike Prince · Song, subsong · Madhure Kere, Bangalore Rural, Karnataka, India · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Parth Kansara · CC BY 4.0

Where you might meet both

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Photos and recordings are credited to their authors under the licence shown. Full profiles: Booted Warbler and Sykes's Warbler.