Bird Guide

Common Grasshopper Warbler vs River Warbler

Common Grasshopper Warbler (Locustella naevia)

Common Grasshopper Warbler

Locustella naevia

Tiny13 gShrubland

The adult is about 12.5 cm (5 in) long, and weighs 11.5–16 grams (0.41–0.56 oz). It is a secretive bird and can be hard to see, but its presence is easily detected because of its characteristic song. The upper-parts are pale olive-brown, each feather having a central darker brown streak. The cheeks are greyish, the irises are brown and there is a faint eye streak behind the eye. The upper mandible of the beak is dark brown and the lower mandible yellowish-brown. The underparts are cream-coloured or yellowish-buff with a few dark brown spots and streaks on the breast and flanks.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Common Grasshopper Warbler
Recorded by Noé Ferrari · Song · Arrondissement d'Abbeville (near Noyelles-sur-Mer), Somme, Hauts-de-France, France · CC BY 4.0
Photo: Richard Nuttall · CC BY 4.0
River Warbler (Locustella fluviatilis)

River Warbler

Locustella fluviatilis

Small16 gWetland

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. Some birds can show reduced dark markings on the undertail coverts (caused by more extensive than usual white tips) and thus are closer in appearance to Savi's warbler than typical river warblers. However, they typically still have a streaked breast and more olive colouration on the upperparts.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the River Warbler
Recorded by Glenn Costello · Song · Borlänge, Borlänge Municipality, Dalarnas län, Sweden · CC BY 4.0
Photo: Михаил Малышев · 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: Common Grasshopper Warbler and River Warbler.