Bird Guide

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler vs Sykes's Warbler

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler (Iduna pallida)

Eastern Olivaceous Warbler

Iduna pallida

Tiny9 gShrubland

It is a medium-sized warbler, more like a very pale reed warbler than its relative the melodious warbler. The adult has a plain pale brown back and whitish underparts. The bill is strong and pointed and the legs grey. The sexes are identical, as with most warblers, but young birds are more buff on the belly. It has a characteristic downward tail flick. The western olivaceous warbler differs from this species in being larger and having a browner tinge to the upperparts; it also has a larger bill.

ID text from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sonogram of the Eastern Olivaceous Warbler
Recorded by Peter Brenner · Song · Rodopi (near Profitis Ilias), East Macedonia and Thrace, Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace, Greece · CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: SteveM4560 · 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: Eastern Olivaceous Warbler and Sykes's Warbler.